The RADLite, which combines images, vector shapes, text and video to create a range of visual effects, will get its London debut at the Brixton Academy this month when The Chemical Brothers perform two concerts there on the 18 and 19 March.

The band has already toured with the RADLite in Japan and Australia and will go on to Europe and the US after the UK leg. Lighting designer Andy Liddle first saw the RADLite at PLASA 2001: "It really lived up to my expectations. It can produce so many effects that it’s actually quite hard to decide which ones to use! The ability to insert your own video clips and images, as well as create your own shapes, means that you can really have the show you want."

The Chemicals have hired the RADLite from XL Video. The system comprises a heavy-duty rack mountable black box that holds a hi-spec PC inside, including dual processors and a dual head graphics card. The system is ethernet ready, supporting both ArtNet and Enttec protocols. An Artistic Licence NetLink I/P box is included in the RADLite package for DMX users allowing the RADLite to be controlled through any standard lighting desk. The output is via a projector, videowall, plasma screen or any video display device.

IRAD, the development company behind RADLite, are currently working on upgrading its list of features. The system currently has 44 parameters including full RGB colour mixing for both foreground and background, palette cycling, shape 1, shape 2, rotation, strobe, video overlay, aspect ratio and zoom. IRAD can also offer simple graphics packages to load into the RADLite system or can produce customized graphics, animations and videos.

(Ruth Rossington)


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