From The Archives: LDI Show 2017 Recap

In November we went to the LDI Conference in Las Vegas to learn more about the latest product offerings from all the major lighting manufacturers. We've compiled a recap so that you can see the newest trends in lighting and staging. Should you have any questions or want to learn more about any of these products, please reach out to your sales associate or to Bobby Norton at bobby@peachstateaudio.com or by calling 770-945-1028 ext. 225.

LIGHTING
Starting off with one of the most exciting lighting items we saw is the Chauvet Professional new follow spot 260 watt LED Engine, the Ovation SP-300CW. Ovation SP-300CW is a quiet, medium throw LED powered follow spot that projects a crisp cool white beam. On board manual dimming and a full-blackout iris are standard for beam control along with smooth manual sliders for zoom and focus to adjust from a spot to a flood. A 6-slot manual boomerang is attached to the front of the unit to add your favorite gel colors and provide quiet color changing.For a full Chauvet Ovation line LDI 2017 recap, check out this video.



A standout Chauvet DJ new product was the SlimPAR Pro QZ12 USB. It's a D-Fi USB compatible wash light with motorized zoom and quad-color (RGBA) LEDs designed for mobile lighting professionals. A built-in gel frame holder and 7½-inch accessory slot to hold optional barn doors are onboard. SlimPAR Pro QZ12 USB has built-in dimming curves to simulate halogen filaments. High-frequency LED dimming give flicker-free output ideal for video work and fanless design means 100% silent operation. This is a great option for stage wash.



X Laser custom designed laser for any environment could be an excellent option for live performance or even outdoor advertising. Their laser fixtures can be used to make images on surfaces or used specifically for lighting effects. At LDI they debuted Project Mercury, their laser projector control system. Mercury is built completely from the ground up for direct lighting console control. Featuring DMX+RDM, Art-Net, and in the future Streaming ACN protocol, Mercury can be used from the lighting console just like any top-brand moving light. With Mercury, laser fixtures can be discovered, profiled, configured, and programmed directly from the lighting console. Mercury is the solution for large laser arrays in a production workflow. The design tools that are already built into professional lighting consoles cooperate with Mercury to allow designers to create looks and effects in minutes, which would take hours to program using conventional laser light show software.

Martin had plenty to debut at the show. The Martin RUSH MH11 Beam high-intensity lamp combined with class-leading optics in the MH11 allows the fixture to achieve sharp, high-output beam effects with a super-tight 2.6 degree angle. The fixture can produce a range of complex and precise mid-air looks. This light will be available in January of 2018. Another Martin offering is the Martin MH10 Beam FX compact 60W RGBW LED Beam moving head fixture with an independent, built-in LED ring. With 24 individually-controllable RGB LEDs surrounding a central beam lens, the RUSH MH 10 FX offers a variety of exciting visual effect possibilities at an affordable price.



ADJ debuted the new MOD Series LED Pars. The models in the series all have the same body style, but 4 different configurations that allow you to modify the light based on use. There's a white and black option for the body styles, allowing you to change out the color based on the environment. Click here for a video from LDI that gives an overview of the MOD Series.

Elation's new Artiste Dali is an award-winning new moving head fixture utilizing both a 300w LED engine AND a new technology 100w Laser Phosphorous source for great spot/beam work. It has all the bells and whistles that lighting desigers are looking for: eFly DMX, CMY+CTO color mixing, color wheel, rotating and static gobo wheels, prisms, animation, zoom/frost.



SOFTWARE & ACCESSORIES
While often times people imagine large trade shows as equipment only, there's a large portion made up of software, accessories, and management applications. This is the case for our next manufacturers. Luminex Network Intelligence manufactures data distribution equipment for lighting, audio and most video applications. They offer a complete line of network switches, converters or nodes and DMX splitters. This gives you the capabilities of monitoring your data from a computer screen. When something goes wrong the device will let you know why the fixtures are not working properly.






Follow-Me Spot Control is a cost effective Art-Net based Calibration software package that utilizes moving lights as follow spots. This is very good tool to use to keep riggers out of the trusses and have follow spot operators in a room instead of high in the sky. To learn more about Follow-Me click here for a video.



Link WidgetLink allows the use standard Cat 5 and Cat 6 cabling to send multiple signals down a single cable. The use of Cat 5/6 cable can be applied to DMX, Analog Audio, Balanced AES3 Digital Audio, and even hybrid combinations including 10/100 Ethernet. 1, 2, 3, or even 4 discrete signals can be sent down each individual Cat 5/6 cable.




STAGING
Switching gears to staging, Prolyte has a wide product offering, from rigging towers and stageDex to complete stage design. The most impressive product was the Verto Truss. Verto truss uses a new technology with locking mechanisms to hold trusses together without pins. This new technology will save time and energy getting trusses together and erected. This would be a particularly useful item for rental and production companies who can save time on setup and breakdown. For a full demonstration on how Verto Truss works, click on the video below.





The ADJ Design Series Panels was also an impressive debut, and would be a great compliment to a touring rig for production companies. With the ability to use different shapes, the design series would be a good fit for production and touring companies. With the ability to use different shapes, the design series' innovative video panel system allows for more creativity. Four different shapes are available: square, rectangle, triangle, and quarter circle. It's also light weight, at only 12 lbs per panel. Click here to watch ADJ explain more about the new Designer video wall at LDI.




As you can see, there was plenty of new lighting, staging, and accessories to see at LDI 2017. Again, if you have any questions or want to learn more please contact your sales associate or Bobby Norton (bobby@peachstateaudio.com).