Skip to content

Swisson RDM Controller and DMX Tester

Swisson RDM Controller and DMX Tester

Swisson RDM Controller and DMX Tester

Swisson recently introduced the latest version of their hand-held, battery-operated DMX tester, the XMT-350. It might not give you the power to control everything in the universe, but it will give you the ability to control and test most everything in your rig — including an entire universe of DMX data. And it runs off a 9V battery.

Read More »
PLCyc LED Luminaire from Philips Strand Selecon

PLCyc LED Luminaire from Philips Strand Selecon

Philips Strand Selecon has come up with a unique product in the PLCyc LED Luminaire. The fixture utilizes various aspects of new technologies to elegantly and efficiently light cycloramas. When I first heard about this unit, I had a mixed reaction — “No way can this do what they claim,” coupled with, “Wow, someone has finally come up with the right solution.”

Read More »
Ayrton Wildsun 500

Ayrton Wildsun 500

I am staring at perhaps the coolest LED moving head on the planet. Ayrton, the French lighting manufacturer, has released the latest advance in LED technology. In extended mode, the operator has individual control of four separate rings of RGBW modules exposed in a circular array — 31 individual 13W, flicker-free LED modules that give out a collective 10,000-lumen punch; blindingly bright.

Read More »

Don’t Just Trash Old Lamps, Recycle Them!

I like to imagine a day in the not-too-distant future where I’m sitting in a rocking chair watching the world drift past my front porch with my grandson on my knee. I’ll tell him of my adventures in the theater, where I once cleaned up Jell-O molds for people with blue faces, and worked at dizzying heights with only a harness for protection. He’ll be baffled by the idea of the Blue Man Group surely, and by the time I have a grandson I expect jet pack technology will have surely come to fruition.

Read More »

Should LDs Have Managers?

One of the remarkable growth areas in the entertainment business in the last decade has been management of record producers and mixers. New shops popping up and consolidations of existing ones have increasingly crowded the big companies in that space, such as Nettwerk and World’s End. So I wondered, where are the managers who want to manage the careers of lighting designers, stage designers, video designers and the rest of the staged-arts disciplines? I’m still wondering.

Read More »

The Secret World of LED Color

The popularity of LED lighting has certainly taken ahold of our industry, and nearly every production now incorporates some form of LED-source products. Many wash lights are being replaced with LED fixtures, and now even LED ellipsoidals and automated spots are beginning to emerge from the major manufacturers. All these products generally operate very similarly to other automated luminaires, however there are important color differences that must be considered by an automated lighting programmer.

Read More »
Def Leppard Rock of Ages tour - photo Debi Moen

Phay & “Phamily” on Def Leppard, Flying Carrie Underwood, Nomadic LDs and More

It’s hours before showtime at Def Leppard’s Rock of Ages tour. They will soon take the stage with “Photograph,” “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” “Armageddon It” and other hits — with the bands Poison and Lita Ford opening. Hanging in catering with production manager Phay MacMahon, one catches up with MacMahon’s evolution in the industry.

Read More »
Illustration by Andy Au

New vs. Old Gear

Fall is one of my favorite times. Because that’s when all the lighting manufacturers showcase their latest products. For me, it’s a chance to see what the coolest new toys are out there. For lighting vendors, I think they may see it another way. Kind of like a Catch-22. They get to see what’s out there, but then they have to make some serious decisions on whether or not to open their wallets.  People like me don’t make it easy on them.

Read More »
Grant Goodson

Chauvet Appoints US Sales Director

SUNRISE, FL— Professional lighting manufacturer Chauvet recently appointed Grant Goodson as national sales director.  Goodson will direct US sales strategies and operations for all four brands under the Chauvet umbrella including Chauvet DJ, Chauvet Professional, Trusst and Iluminarc.

Read More »