MASCOT, Australia – Oceania Audio & Lighting has devoted equipment and crew the past few months to the Rugby World Cup and its associated events. Now that the final is over, corporate gigs and touring events which deferred until the World Cup was over are now underway. Oceania’s General Manager Lighting Simon Garrett prepared in advance by purchasing new Jands HPC12 series dimmers as well as additional Jands power distribution units and HPX dimmers.
More details from Jands (http://www.jands.com.au):
Oceania Prepare For The Rugby World Cup With Jands
MASCOT, Australia – Oceania Audio & Lighting has been busy the past couple of months with the Rugby World Cup and its associated events. And although the final was last weekend, there is no let up for the Oceania crew as many corporate and touring events deferred until after the World Cup are now underway.
“For the past few months my turnover has been up 150 percent for this time of year,” commented Simon Garrett, Oceania’s General Manager Lighting. “Of course, no one would commit 100 percent to what they wanted – they just assume we can pull something out of a hat.”
Garrett took measures well in advance to prepare for the onslaught by purchasing new Jands HPC12 series dimmers (with contactor bypass) as well as additional Jands power distribution units and HPX dimmers.
“We’re moving over to a system that is more in line with Australian method whereby we build our dimmers and distro racks up for the show,” Garrett said. “Remember that in New Zealand we don’t do long runs of shows – it’s mainly just Auckland and Wellington – so the number of gigs a show does has not been a driver behind highly customized touring rigs. However, we have just purchased another 64 moving lights and the HPC dimmers bridge that gap between a dimmer and a distro. It’s a Jekyll and Hyde; a PDS 12R power distribution unit one day and a HPX dimmer another day. So in terms of not having to really customize our racks it gives me a whole lot more distro and / or dimmers at a push of a switch.”
The HPC12 with AirGap technology integrates both dimming and high current full-on and full-off contactor type elements on each channel to deliver any load performance.
Pictured is the IRB (International Rugby Board) Awards ceremony that took place at the Vector Arena in Auckland on the night after the Rugby World Cup 2011 Final. The event used the Jands HPC12 series dimmers, PDS 12R power distribution units and DD8 DMX Opto-Isolators.
“We made up our basic ‘slam racks’ which are 48-way with four DD8s so you have 24 DMX outs and 48 power or dimmers out,” Garrett explained. “It really is a prep saving device so when you’ve got to roll stuff out of the factory real quick, it’s a no brainer.”
The Jands PDS 12R power distribution system is designed for fixed or mobile applications where three-phase to single phase GPO power distribution is required. “I quite like the PDS12 R because again they are great for our slam rack scenario – open racks where we put distros, dimmers and possibly a motor control unit, that are them loomed up,” Simon emphasized. “We used the opening ceremony as a catalyst to buy more individual components – such as eight Jands DD8 units – to build custom racks quickly, modular units to mix and match stuff around.”
Simon concludes that as expected with Jands gear, his entire new inventory has been rock solid.
