Skip to content

“I Solve Problems.”

Three options. Pick any two.

“I Solve Problems.”

This article has nothing to do with good system design. Let’s just get that out there first. If you want to learn to design systems, go to school (hard knock U or other) and start designing. Designing is a learned process, and you learn by doing. That said, I’ve been designing a lot of systems lately. I’m a system technician by trade, but for some reason, the phone keeps ringing and I get a line like, “We’re wanting to do this crazy thing, and we weren’t quite sure who to call, but your name kept coming up.” 

Read More »
The MMS 100 has an Axon media server on board.

High End Systems’ MMS-100 and MMS-200

Tracing the Evolution of HES’ MMS Orbital Head: A look at moving mirror systems technologies offered by High End Systems, a Barco Company

Rather than struggle with the challenge of rigging and precisely pointing the beam from a big, bulky projector, it’s often easier and more efficient to fine-tune the position of a flat mirror that reflects and angles the light beam. That simple truth has led to the creation of MMS (moving mirror system) technologies by Austin, Texas-based High End Systems, now owned by Barco. Here, PLSN takes a closer look at the MMS concept and how it evolved.

Read More »
TourPro LightSky AquaBeam

TourPro LightSky AquaBeam

Today, we’re looking at the IP54 Light Sky AquaBeam from SHS Global. Originally known as a used gear company, SHS has since expanded their operations into distributing various lines, including the AquaBeam from Light Sky, an IP rated moving head beam projector with a lot of power. There’s still a solid place for arc-based lights in the industry; LEDs still don’t have the raw output needed for certain applications. Extremely short-arc lamps like the one found in the AquaBeam pack a tremendous punch for low wattage, which makes them very attractive for this class of narrow-beam moving heads.

Read More »
Chauvet Maverick MK2 Wash

Chauvet Maverick MK2 Wash

Chauvet Professional showed the world the prototypes for their new stellar line of fixtures, dubbed the Maverick Series, at the Prolight + Sound show in Frankfurt last April. This only whetted my appetite; I have waited a couple of months to get my hands on the first fixture of this series to be released, the Maverick MK2 Wash. Rest assured, the fixture lives up to its hype as a powerful wash light with some tasty effects.

Read More »
LD Arian Yegenah used Chauvet Professional Vesuvio RGBA fixtures

Chauvet Vesuvio Creates RGBA Fog Effects at Midnight Mafia

SYDNEY  – After a hiatus, the Australian all-night dance music festival, Midnight Mafia, returned April 23 at the Showground event space in Sydney’s Olympic Park, hosting some of Australia’s most popular DJs including The Enforcers and The Ace of Spades. LD Arian Yegenah used Chauvet Professional Vesuvio RGBA fixtures from Australian distributor Showtools during the event.

Read More »
Boston Pops Rocks 4th of July

Boston Pops Rocks 4th of July Celebration with 4Wall NY-supplied Gear

BOSTON – The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular is a tradition that spans 40 years. Hundreds of thousands gathered at the historic DCR Hatch Shell to celebrate America’s independence while fireworks exploded in the air during a performance by Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, and the Boston Pops Orchestra. This year’s event was also broadcast live on CBS for millions across the country to enjoy. Lighting designer Mike Berger, of Full Flood Inc., was responsible for lighting this year’s 4th of July celebration using gear from 4Wall New York.

Read More »
The ONErack is now shipping

tvONE Ships ONErack

 tvOne’s ONErack, a universal rack mounting solution with power and cooling, is now shipping. ONErack is a universal, powered mounting system that is designed to improves rack installation of small devices. tvONE’s patent pending design converts randomly sized, externally-powered devices from any manufacturer into slide-in modules that can be installed quickly and cleanly and then serviced easily.

Read More »
LD Toni Amoros used 24 Mythos fixtures, supplied by Producciones Icardi, for the two-and-a-half-hour light show, which ran for nearly one month

Chilean Skyscraper Lit with Clay Paky Fixtures for Festive Light Show

SANTIAGO, Chile – Architectural lighting designer Toni Amoros used 24 Clay Paky Mythos fixtures to animate South America’s tallest skyscraper, the Costanera Centre, with a festive light show. The building is in the heart of the chilean capital’s financial district and includes a six-floor shopping mall, two luxury hotels and office space. Its highest levels are home to Sky Costanera, the highest observation deck in South America. 

Read More »
Tekvox TekController TCX9

Tekvox TekController TCX9

The new TCX9 from Tekvox combines touchscreen and control processing. It’s a 9-inch touchscreen with full HD (1920×1200) resolution and a control processor. The TCX9 promises easy control of TekMonitors, third-party control systems and a wide variety of other AV devices. Its hybrid design and non-proprietary control language also promise a substantial cost savings over control systems requiring separate touchscreens and controllers. 

Read More »
Brad Schiller

Live On Stage: The Real World

Visualizers are wonderful tools that can be extremely useful to programmers and productions alike. When a show can be pre-programmed in a virtual world, countless dollars can be saved in labor, venue and equipment rental, and much more. Computer technology has allowed visualizer software applications to become very powerful and very realistic. However, there are always differences between the virtual world in the computer and the real world happening live on stage. A good programmer must understand the potential differences and how to best adapt or correct for them.

Read More »
Pulse nightclub logo

Orlando; Weezer; Adam Ant; Quick Cues on kd lang, Tribe, Dead & Co., More…

There are so many sad stories regarding the recent Orlando Pulse nightclub massacre. LD Kevin Cauley shares one of them. Cauley has been doing lots of programming lately, including the May 26 Red Nose Day live broadcast from Los Angeles for NBC, which raised money for needy children. He was now starting on programming this season of La Voz Kids, a Spanish version of The Voice for youngsters, produced by Telemundo. “The show tapes three rounds in Orlando over a four or five month period,” he explains. “We had just reconvened for the third round. The attack (at Pulse nightclub) happened the night before.”

Read More »