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Martin’s Dotron and Fatron Fixtures

Martin’s Dotron and Fatron Fixtures

I cut my teeth in lighting from early on, but eventually found myself working for a video production company, finding the gear far cooler — and far more complex. Back in those days, lights were lights, projectors were projectors, and never the twain met. But there were some emerging technologies and we always dreamed about marrying them, or at least producing a weird hybrid-freak-son-daughter.

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One side of the panel has a video screen with 6mm pixel pitch, while the other has an 8x8 matrix of 15W LEDs.

Ayrton DreamPanel Twin

Some fixtures do their best to defy categorization. In recent years, we’ve seen manufacturers release lights that attempt to fit characteristics of several types fixtures into a single unit, generally combining key aspects into a fixture released under the banner of “hybrid.” Today we look at an Ayrton fixture that combines elements of high-resolution video panels and narrow-beam LED matrices into a single fixture.

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Photo Courtesy Frankfurt Messe

Prolight + Sound 2017 Show Report

FRANKFURT, Germany — Prolight + Sound, arguable the largest trade show of its kind, closed on April 7 after a successful run. Last year, more than 43,000 visitors swooped down on 940 exhibitors. It took me four full days in 2017 just to cover the lighting and video areas.

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Patching Prestidigitation

Anyone who wants to learn about automated lighting programming must study and master one very important task: Patching. Without this ability, the data within the desk will not be able to communicate properly with the connected fixtures and other devices. Patching requires an understanding of a console’s specific methodologies, DMX fundamentals and intimate details of the lighting rig layout. No matter the show or the console, a programmer must properly patch the system to actually control lighting units.

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