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September 2017

One of the best features of this LED product is that it is IP65-rated on both the front and back sides. One has no fear of doing outdoor shows and experiencing a little foul weather.

Black Widow CTS + Touring Frame + Touring Cart

A Look at Oracle LED Systems’ Tiles, Frames and Carts

As I walked the floor at InfoComm 2017 in Orlando this summer, I was on a quest to search for the best touring package of LED video walls. I was looking for quality in the output, lightness in weight, toughness in fabrication, weather resistance and protective traveling options that make for a quick and efficient load in.

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PR Lighting XLED 4022RZ

PR Lighting XLED 4022RZ

PR Lighting is the market leader in entertainment lighting in China. They have been around since 1984, and their professionally designed, quality gear is among some of the best fixtures in the world. They have been working on their XLED series of fixtures suited for the entertainment market for a few years and recently released their top-of-the-line wash light — the XLED 4022RZ. While this is the 12th fixture to be included in this series, it offers more punch and effects than the other LED pancake style models previously released.

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High End Systems SolaFrame Theatre

High End Systems SolaFrame Theatre

For a few years, it wasn’t clear how soon we’d have LED engines capable of providing the raw output necessary to compete with high-wattage arc sources — those tiny bits of bottled lightning held their position as the brightest practical form of entertainment lighting we had for many, many years. As advancement in semiconductor science marched on, however, the first truly usable hard-edged LED fixtures appeared and have been steadily improving.

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Grand Master Fader

The Grandest Of Them All

Magic fader on the desk, who is the grandest of them all?

The absolute worst moment for anyone at a lighting console is when you have been stumped as to why your fixtures have no output, only to discover that the Grand Master is down. If this has not yet happened to you, then be on the lookout because it does happen at least once to everyone.

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Pretty Lights 2017 tour. Photo by Greg Ellis

Pretty Lights, Primus in Production, Plenty of People News

Lighting designer Greg Ellis, out with Pretty Lights, says a lot has changed in the band’s live show on this tour. While he’s simplified the lighting a bit from past designs, he has expanded the visual production “way beyond anything we’ve ever done before,” he observes. “I am currently running all aspects of the show including one of the most advanced laser shows out there. Also, I’ve got live analog video synthesis along with live camera feeds and a custom built touch designer server.” The U.S. tour started in early August.

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Illustration by Andy Au

Kung Fu Lighting

A Tale of Lighting, Confusion and Pandas in the Land of the Red Dragon

Lighting direction has taken me all over the world for some extravagant gigs in far-off lands. I have been asked what it’s like to travel for work in so many foreign countries. I can tell you that, for the most part, it is similar to what you are used to. It’s just the same loading dock in a different country. The food is a little different, the money is a different color and the stagehands speak only slightly less English than at home.

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