ELATION PROFESSIONAL NX2 SERIES

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ELATION PROFESSIONAL NX2 SERIES

Elation Professional’s Matthias Hinrichs, Product Manager, talks to TPi’s Kel Murray about the company’s NX2 Series.

When did the development of the NX2 first begin? The NX2 is an evolution of the Martin by Harman M2GOHD [Elation acquired the Martin M-Series range nearly a year ago]. The platform really has been around since 2012 and the layout and feature set have proven very popular, so we kept evolving it from the M2GO to the M2GOHD and finally the NX2, now under the Obsidian Control Systems brand. Amazingly, all three consoles support the new ONYX operating system so it’s been a great value for users as we expand the software while allowing it to run on existing hardware for as long as possible.

Can you talk us through the initial concept? Did it change much along the way? The idea was to make a very compact but still powerful console where Playback and Programming interfaces would be fully supported with no compromises. We wanted a very bright HD multi-touch screen. It needed to be portable enough so it could work as a carry-on for commercial flights

and we wanted to include all connections one could wish for like DMX, SMPTE and MIDI so there is no need to carry any accessories. We really strived to build the perfect compact lighting console that is affordable with a rock solid construction and only industrial grade components.

During design we learned about brand new Intel six-core CPUs designed for embedded media devices. They had a lower power rating than previous generations while being faster with more graphics power, which make them ideal to drive a lighting console due to the lower heat and the demand for lots of screen real estate. So we redid all the core PC components, picked a new motherboard, created a custom copper heat pipe cooler and tried to fit it all into the very small chassis. Our engineers really outdid themselves and it worked by a few millimeters! The result was an incredibly fast lighting console that processes 64 Universes, drives several HD displays and is just really fun to operate. So while the core concept of the NX2 is not a large departure, it’s pretty much completely retooled and redesigned from top to bottom.

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ELATION PROFESSIONAL NX2

Elation Professional’s Matthias Hinrichs.

How involved / consulted are the end users and LDs during the design process? Communication with the user community is key to the success of ONYX and the design of our hardware. We constantly interact with our users online or in person. My job as product manager is to carefully evaluate the often widespread input and needs and then find a compromise that hopefully gives the majority of users a great product. Some design concepts and renderings are shown privately to select users - let’s call them “power” users - who we know can give us feedback that is beyond their own requirements. They look at the whole market including competing products in this class, which can be quite different from region to region, and they give us honest and direct feedback that is taken straight to the development team. We adjust and adapt, and over time find that this process gives us very refined products.

Where does the NX2 fit into the Obsidian family of products as a whole? The NX2 is the smallest full console in the lineup, but don’t let that mislead you. It actually shares the same processing as the NX4, which we just launched at NAMM. The user can pick the size and hardware features that fit them while getting identical power and performance. Below the NX2 is the NX Wing, which is the same front panel just without the touchscreen and no internal processor. It’s a great way to build a very cost efficient, ergonomic or very high-powered ONYX system.

What other offerings within the line of products fit into the live marketplace? All ONYX products are suited well for a variety of shows. The product line offers different levels of hardware that allows the user to pick the right product for their style of work. For example, the inexpensive M-Play is a unique Expansion Wing that offers 48 playbacks, some as touch-based faders, some as pressure sensitive playback and flash buttons. It works connected to the NX2 or connected to ONYX on any PC system with a simple USB cable. It’s a flexible system that can adapt and grow as needed.

Are there any notable tours / events to have showcased ONYX? NX2 was introduced at LDI 2018 and we just recently started shipping them to our customers so none quite yet to talk about. However, the ONYX (and the previous M-Series) platform is well established on global tours, installations, cruise ships, clubs, houses of worship and other venues. One notable long-term client is Feld Entertainment that has dozens of live tours around the globe using ONYX every day. TPi www.elationlighting.com

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