Programming more than 400 moving lights required 24 DMX lines, two grandMA consoles, grandMA onPC and a grandMA remote, as well as six MA network signal processors. As in recent years, Abigail Rosen-Holmes was responsible for the lighting of the remarkable event, which Patrick Dierson, David Arch and Hillary Knox were the lighting directors/programmers. "The grandMA is the only console that offers the capacity and works reliably and quickly, which is absolutely necessary for such an event. Moreover it offers an elegant programming and control," explained Dierson. In addition to the consoles, Dierson also worked with the grandMA pocket PC remote. This remote control enables him to adjust different settings such as focus, intensity etc, of every moving light while standing on the stage. This was mainly important for the VL1000 Ts that were used to produce the key lighting for the auction.
MA Lighting's network signal processors (NSP) process the DMX signal in real-time. For Dierson this meant a huge advantage for the show, as he was able to work with all lights "live" and without delay. With the NSPs taking over the calculating process of the console, the whole system worked immediately. The system is designed to be scaleable to the demands of the user, while the operational performance remains the same, say MA Lighting. All DMX signals are transferred directly. "The NSP system was a pleasure to work with", the lighting director is enjoying it very much.
(Lee Baldock)
