Hogs on the road with Rob Thomas
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“The Hog 4 controls everything in my design and has an extensive use of the pixel mapping engine on most of the fixtures in the rig,” the LD says.
Since his years as a former High End Systems designer and programmer, Benoit continued to use Hogs on projects ranging from tours and television specials to blockbuster films. “I was super happy when Bandit Lites purchased the two new Hog 4-18s for the tour earlier this year,” he says. “And I love the fact that they are manufactured in the USA.”
Richard programmed the show for the Matchbox Twenty co-founder with lighting director Patrick Hayes, who carries out his design on the road. Hayes was introduced to Hogs while participating (and winning) the inaugural Hog Factor USA Collegiate Lighting Programming Competition in 2015. He toured recently on a Full Boar 4 with The Decemberists.
“I really like working with Patrick,” Richard says. “And after being ‘the guy’ who ran the light show for two of Rob’s first three solo tours, it was emotionally difficult for me to let someone else take over. But Patrick was the perfect fit to be on Rob’s touring crew.”
Hayes says: “The 4-18 consoles have been rock-solid, and coupled with the latest v3.12 software, it’s provided a fantastic interface. The 4-18 feels just like the last generation of the Hog 4 but better. The larger screens and aluminium encoders give the desk a sleeker, more modern look. However, my favourite addition is the integration of the Kupo arms for external monitors. It’s a great space-saving feature for cramped front-of-house situations.” They’re also carrying a couple of DMX 8000 Processors as well.
The North American tour kicked off in May with dates through the end of September, with Australia in November.
(Jim Evans)
