Robe TE, KLANG:konductor Elation Polar Crisp, INFiLED TITAN-X and CHAUVET

ROBE TRANSFERABLE ENGINE (TE)

Lighting Theatre Products Manager, Dave Whitehouse reviews the benefits of Robe’s unique and patented TRANSFERABLE ENGINE (TE) LED technology.

What was the initial goal of TE? The great benefit of LEDs is their long life. Unfortunately, all LEDs degrade over time, both in terms of output and colour shift. They reach a point when the output has degraded to such a point that it will become unacceptable. Changing an LED light engine was expensive in terms of engine, specialised tools, skills and time. This would usually be carried out at an approved service centre to avoid warranty issues, adding to the cost. LED light engines are purchased as part of the fixture. Frozen in time, with its then available LED technology. To keep up with LED advancement, you must buy a new luminaire. If you need an inherently high CRI source, for example, again, purchase another luminaire. You had no flexibility, and removing an engine meant you had no performance level information. Lastly, lighting manufacturers were at the mercy of engine manufacturers. This creates uncertainty around availability and longevity. Our revolutionary TRANSFERABLE ENGINE TE technology addresses all these issues; cost, time, technological advancement, flexibility, predictable performance, and longevity.

What are the benefits of TE technology? The engine cost is dramatically reduced. Quick to change, in around five to seven minutes, no special tools or skills are needed. Most importantly, no source alignment is required. You only need one fixture for different source applications, an inherently high CRI as an example, because we offer a range of engine types, you simply fit the one you require, giving maximum flexibility. TEs are data capturing and self-referencing, meaning all the engine performance is at your fingertips, either within the fixture or simply sitting on a shelf, via the Robe COM app, giving performance predictability as you transfer engines between luminaires. Finally, we ensure longevity by owning the process. We have designed, developed, patented and manufactured TE within our own factory in Europe.

What has the response been like? Phenomenal! It gave customers the ability to provide consistent light quality across their inventory at low cost while maintaining all the advantages of LED. And with the availability of the new HCF High Colour Fidelity engines, they do not have to purchase extra fixtures for high CRI applications, giving maximum fixture flexibility. That’s the beauty of easy transfer. All our white LED source fixtures are TE compatible – SPOTE, CUETE, ESPRITE, FORTE, and our new Multi-Spectral Light (MSL) T11 Profile, Fresnel and PC with more fixtures to follow.

How does the Robe COM app benefit end users? All the performance data stays with the engine. When installed in a fixture, you simply read the data from the fixture display. To access all engine data when it’s outside the light, stored on a shelf, for example, the Robe COM app, based on Near Field Communication (NFC), gives you complete access. This means you will know the engine performance before installing it in a fixture. It’s simple and very accessible, needing no power to the engine.

What makes TE a green option for the industry? Because TE-based fixtures can be upgraded through their lifetime due to the built-in headroom, engine technology and flexibility, luminaires will last a lot longer. Scrapping of lights will happen less often, meaning reduced waste. The engines are fully recyclable as we have our return for recycling scheme. All these factors contribute to our goal of delivering even great sustainability. www.robe.cz

KLANG: KONDUCTOR

KLANG:technologies introduces a powerful immersive In-Ear Mixing processor with 128 input channels and 16 immersive mixes with flexible I/O, courtesy of three DMI card slots.

“After joining forces with DiGiCo in 2018 and the release of the workflow integration for its consoles, more and more monitor engineers have implemented a KLANG immersive IEM processor into their workflows,” said KLANG Co-Founder, Dr. Pascal Dietrich, discussing the idea behind the creation of KLANG:konductor. “Only the most critical channels for the main artists were sent through the processor but the wish for more input channels and creative and organisational possibilities grew further.” Designedwithmonitorengineersandfixed installations in mind, KLANG:konductor boasts amixingsystemthatcandeliver16immersive mixesandprocess128inputsignalsatupto 96kHz,withanastonishingprocessinglatency oflessthan0.25ms.

“Our combined R&D teams were able tosqueezeintwiceasmuchprocessing powerinasingle3RUdeviceasfoundin anyofourpreviousprocessorsbyusingthe latest,super-fastFPGAcores,”KLANGCTO, BenediktKrechelexplained.“Manyofour customersvaluetheI/Oflexibilitythatourfirst KLANG:fabrikoffers,butweknowtheyneedto quicklyadapttodifferentI/Osituationswhen touringdifferentcountries.KLANG:konductor considerablyextendsthisflexibilityandletsthe userchooseI/Oonthefly.” KLANG:konductoroffersthreeDMIslotson itsreartoprovideI/Ofreedomandintegration intoanyexistingsetup.Forexample,two DMI-MADIcardsallow128inputchannelsand mixestobereturnedtoaconsoleandone DMI-Dantecardcanconnectthemixesto KLANG:kontrollers.Pairedwithintegralsingle channelroutingcapabilities,italsoallowsthe usertofreelyroutebetweentheimmersive mixengineandconvertbetweendifferentDMI formats,suchasOptocore,DanteorMADI, witheachDMIcardofferingupto64inputand outputchannelsatboth48kHzand96kHz. IntegrationwithDiGiCo’scontrolinterface andtheKLANG:appprovideengineersdirect control with KLANG:kontroller allowing musicianstocontroltheirownmix. “KLANG:konductoristheswissarmyknife ofaudioformatconversionandbecomesvery handyasaninterfaceforvirtualsoundchecks or multitrack recordings, at the same time asbeingusedasanimmersiveprocessor,” explainedDietrich.KLANG:konductoroffers thesamestudiogradeamplifiercircuitas KLANG:quelleonthefrontofthedevice.The devicealsohasafrontmountedseven-inch colourtouchdisplaytoallowfordirectmix control,audiosetup,routingandmonitoring metres.Anetworkportonthefrontofthe unitprovidespoweroverethernettodirectly connect a KLANG:kontroller or KLANG:quelle anddualredundantpowersuppliesoffer maximumreliability. “Immersivein-earmixinghasbecome increasinglypopular,havingproventodeliver crucialbenefitstomusiciansbyprovidinga naturallisteningexperienceandremoving thefeelingofisolationonstage,”summarised Dietrich. “KLANG:konductor is our most powerfulandmostflexibleprocessorsofar, andgivesbothengineersandmusiciansan immenselypowerful,yetsimpletousesystem, thatdeliversallthosebenefitsandmore.” www.klang.com/konductor

ELATION PROFESSIONAL MAGMATIC CRISP & CRISP MAX

Elation Professional strives to set the scene this holiday season with Magmatic Crisp and Crisp Max snow effect solutions.

Designed, engineered and exclusively distributed by Elation Professional, Magmatic Crisp and Crisp Max are strong and affordable speciality effect solutions.

With its small size and easy mobility, Crisp is a set-it-and-forget-it snow effect. The unit weighs 15.2kg with a hanging bracket that doubles as a carrying handle. Crisp uses Magmatic’s specially formulated APS-4L dryon-impact snow liquid to create a snowflake that mimics the look and feel of real snow. Crisp Max includes a 20-litre fluid tank hidden inside a road case with durable casters for extra protection and easier portability. The unit’s 10m-long hose can be rigged on a standard truss or tripod stand and fluid can be extended up to 50m horizontally or vertically using 10m extension tubes with couplers that are available as an accessory. An optional 120° pan motor increases the coverage area. Crisp Max uses Magmatic’s specially formulated dry-on-impact snow liquid (APS-2L, 4L, 20L) to create a snowflake that looks and feels real. Both the Crisp and Crisp Max are capable of producing high volumes of naturalistic snow with the capacity to adjust snowflake size for greater versatility. Small flake or large, short throw or long, these 1250W high-volume snow machines can project snow up to 12m with the flexibility to adjust to the occasion. All Polar series snow machines feature a noise-blocking layer of insulation that reduces noise for quieter operation. An all-in-one Air Pump Fan (APF) system together with an autoclean feature lowers the risk of clogging and reduces the need for maintenance. The Crisp and Crisp Max include an onboard LCD touchscreen control panel with manual and timer control options. They are industrystandard DMX-512 and RDM controllable, and offer wired and wireless control options. www.elationlighting.com

INFiLED TITAN-X

INFiLED launches cutting-edge outdoor LED rental solution TITAN-X. As part of the INFiLED DNA, the idea behind the TITAN-X innovation is to create a strong and long-lasting outdoor LED rental screen with excellent transparency.

“To accomplish this challenging task, we built an international R&D team of 15 engineers from both Europe and China, who after seven months of dedication, finally completed TITAN-X,” began INFiLED CEO, Michael Hao. “The beauty of TITAN-X lies in how our team combined high transparency with a super load capacity into one.”

He added: “The average outdoor stage screen construction needs a stage truss for every 2m of screen to protect against wind over 20m/s for two-tiers. However, TITAN-X needs a stage truss for every 9.6m of eight tiers, thanks to an elaborate built-in foldable subframe inside the TITAN frame. Moreover, the overall system remains around 22kg/sq m making it lightweight and strong, which is absolutely mind-blowing!”

TITAN-X high-transparency large-format outdoor touring LED solution features a pixel pitch of 8.3mm and high transparency rate of 70%, offering outstanding display performance for state-of-the-art stage visual effects. Each cabinet offers extensive load capacity and advanced overall stability due to its unique rear triangular foldable wind bracing system which can resist wind speeds of 20m/sec for outdoor events, while the screen can reach heights of up to 24m. The extra-large 1,200mm by 1,200mm cabinets feature a unique design with an innovative lifting operation from the dolly that quickens installation time to a new level.

Its dedicated dolly system allows for easy transportation and makes installation more efficient. The foldable bracing design of each cabinet saves on storage space and even with extra accessories, the cabinets can still be transported in their dollies. Featuring a high brightness of 5000nits and IP65 protection, it’s a reliable and robust choice under any light and weather conditions. The TITAN-X can be customised and assembled at angles of ±15 giving it the ability to adapt to unlimited stage and creative design requirements such as a curve effect. www.infiled.com The point of difference

Breathe new life into old event panels and take your long-awaited performance to the next level with...

CHAUVET PROFESSIONAL MAVERICK SILENS 2 PROFILE

CHAUVET Professional European Product Manager, Sam Bowden overviews the award-winning Maverick Silens 2 Profile.

Where does the Maverick Silens 2 Profile fit within the CHAUVET Professional arsenal? The Maverick Silens 2 Profile was engineered with one goal in mind. The fixture answers an issue which has existed in theatres for many years now. Lighting designers and operators all want the versatility that a feature packed moving head brings. The ability to focus on various parts of the stage without having to use several static profile fixtures to do it. The issue has always been that the ambient noise created by these fixtures is enough to ruin the performance for those in the audience. With the Silens, it is small enough that it can be placed in the wings and on the front bars, is bright enough that it can hit the correct parts of the stage at a required light level and, most importantly, it is quiet enough that it does not impact on the experience of the audience in the theatre or detract from how immersed they are in a performance.

How has the creation of the fixture been achieved from a technical standpoint? We started from the ground up to create a purpose-built fixture that utilises cuttingedge optical and cooling technology while housed in the smallest build possible. The unit delivers over 11,000 lumens with 100% convection cooling, there are no fans in this unit. The motors and effects have been tuned for near silence and smoothness. We wanted the fixture to be silent and cool – a high-power light source such as this, you need to have a sizeable amount of passive cooling, and we do. The starting point was the thermal management – produce something silent, to do this we had to use the best in copper and aluminum cooling and use more oil cool than before to draw heat from the back of the source. Meanwhile we had to do this without adding excessive amounts of weight to the fixture and thus rendering it too heavy to lift.

What are some of the key features? Another new way of thinking regarding the source was to look it the steady modes often fixtures will have different fan modes to reduce noise but on this unit what we wanted to do was optimise steady output so we looked at how the unit manages itself at different ambient temperatures and added the options to be able to set the unit for a 26°C room or a 35°C room. The unit features a unique Dual source which has fixed white LEDs around the outside of an RGB cob module in the middle; this RGB module is used to give +/- green for camera use and helps tone the output when in red shift mode. We also looked into feedback we’d had previously with frost flags – often they are too heavy or too light, but by thinking of the frost in the same way as a colour flag and using graduation, we were able to create a variable Frost system we were truly proud of.

Where can we expect to see the Maverick Silens 2 Profile in the coming months? We believe the Maverick Silens offers great commercial advantage within the theatrical and Studio sphere because it has been so well tuned to the requirements they have asked for and offers a set of USPs, we believe, are unmatched. The unit is a reasonably compact size, a manageable weight, has a tailored set of features and most importantly, is silent.

How did it feel for the fixture to be recognised at The PLASA Awards for Innovation? It was great for us to be able to accept the reward this year. We are truly convinced that we have something exceptional with the Silens 2 Profile, and we were extremely glad that the judges recognised that. They took the time to discuss various technical aspects, looking at more than just the silent aspect, taking into account the variable frost, quality of light, even looking under the housing to see how we accomplish certain things. Their diverse background, be it lighting, sound or something else entirely, also allowed them to discuss and assess the fixture across multiple disciplines. www.chauvetprofessional.com