IN THE FIELD
IN THE FIELD: CHAUVET PROFESSIONAL ÉPIX STRIP IP Jacob Collier updates his lighting rig, adding CHAUVET ÉPIX Strip IP fixtures to his touring arsenal. Lighting Designer Luke Edwards of Cue Design explains why the fixtures are vital to the multi-instrumentalist’s midi-controlled, multicoloured multi-verse…
Jacob Collier’s live shows are described as a journey through every musical genre under the sun. Case in point is the London-based performer’s latest project: Djesse – an ambitious four-volume, 50-song album featuring more than two dozen artists and ensembles. Lighting Designer, Luke Edwards of Cue Design helped create an immersive environment for musicians and the audience by utilising the capabilities of CHAUVET ÉPIX Strip IP fixtures. Edwards first came across the fixtures while searching for LED strip products. “Matt Hallard at CHAUVET Professional convinced me to have a look at the ÉPIX,” he recalled. “With its high pixel count, robustness and lightness, it ticked all the boxes for us. Jacob was so impressed with them that he invested for the four years of touring ahead of us.” To this end, Edwards used 32 CHAUVET Professional ÉPIX Strip IP 1m-long RGB strips in his 12-universe show. Each of the ÉPIX Strip IP units were topped with “old school” Edison bulbs – an arrangement that
symbolises Jacob Collier’s multifarious music, which bridges the gap between digital and analogue. Using the ÉPIX Drive 2000 IP, which is required with this product, allowed Edwards to control the ÉPIX Strip IP via Art-Net, Kling-Net, or sACN to configure and program shows in a matter of minutes rather than hours. A total of 16 ÉPIX Strip IP fixtures were rigged upright on stage. “Using them as colour blocks, twinkles and sparkles gives us a lot of flexibility during the show to change the mood on stage and set the scene,” Edwards commented. “They are fully pixel mapped so we have full control, allowing for some interesting looks on stage.” The new 1m LED strip also features a quick-programming mode that greatly reduces the amount of time needed to set up pixel-mapping programs by allowing access to several prebuilt effects while using just a few DMX Channels. Collier is famed for his energetic and interactive performance style that often sees him running around the stage, the small 82
