Road Tests

Things were simpler when we were in kindergarten. We learned about important things like sharing. We got to spend a bit of time coloring and painting. We even got to make big murals out of those long rolls of butcher paper. When I was programming for an upcoming tour in Nashville recently, I came to realize that there were some distinct similarities to what I was now doing.

If you’ve ever spent any time chasing down DMX data problems, then you’ll appreciate this little Gadget from Anidea Innovations, Inc. I once went to a job site at a permanent installation to program a console after being assured that all of the automated lights were installed, powered, cabled and working. When I got there I found all of that to be true except for the “working” part. Oops.

In the movie Toy Story, a forgotten toy cowboy by the name of “Woody” is replaced by a “laser-toting” action figure with the dashing name of “Buzz Lightyear.” Surrounded by other talking toys, including Mr. Potato Head and a piggy bank named “Hamm,” the following conversation ensues…

Mr. Potato Head: “How come you don’t have a laser, Woody?”

Woody (angrily): “It’s not a laser. It’s a little light bulb that blinks.”

Hamm: “What’s wrong with him?”

Mr. Potato Head: “Laser envy.”

Always looking for the next big thing, most of us keep one eye and one ear turned to our inbox, our mailbox and our trusted co-workers, eager to learn about the latest and greatest LED this or digital that. But no matter what the buzz-product of the day is, we still end up using the same gear for most of our work.

For the last two years I’ve used many of the leading brands of haze and smoke products. When it came time to purchase something for my own business, I wanted to know if there might be a better product on the market to suit my needs. Initially, Nathan Kahn of Look Solutions USA Ltd (formerly of Theatre Effects) contacted me on the Light Network (www.lightnetwork. com). He had seen my posts about the concerns I’ve had with these units and offered to send a demo unit of the Unique for my review. He assured me I’d be quite happy with its quality. I can be as cynical as they come, so this was something I had to see for myself.

Zzyzx Inc. of Las Vegas has recently released version 2 of their ESP Vision visualization software program designed for programming lighting cues outside of the venue without using a lighting system. With this program, a lighting designer can make beautiful photo realistic renderings that depict what a show will look like, and convert these drawings to a video presentation of the event.

Last month, I heard that Selecon, the New Zealand lighting manufacturer, had designed a new conventional lighting fixture that was going to make people interested in a Fresnel. It was hard to get excited. A couple years ago, people crossed a PAR with a Fresneltype lens and that did not thrill me. But then I actually used the new Selecon fixture.

Wireless Solution AB, a Swedish wireless DMX manufacturer, has recently released a new wireless DMX system called W-DMX. It works with any device that transmits a DMX signal, transmitting to a wireless receiver at the receiving device. It’s intended for systems where hard-wiring a DMX signal is impossible or impractical. For example, when several large format automated lights were placed on several tall buildings during the Super Bowl and operated from the top of another tall building, it was not practical to run DMX cable to the fixtures.

As an experienced sound and lighting contractor, I am often put upon by manufacturer reps to “…take a look and let us know what you think” about this piece of gear or that. Sometimes, there may be an actual potential need for the product, a free lunch or sometimes just plain old curiosity on my part. In this case, however, the stars aligned properly and I came across this product that I wanted to check out.