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    Blog Series: Product News

    LD Drew Gnagey Uses Rogue RH1 Hybrid On Rascal Flatts RIOT! Tour

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    NASHVILLE– LD Drew Gnagey of Magneto Live Design called on the Rogue RH1 Hybrid from CHAUVET Professional to fill a variety of roles in the Rascal Flatts RIOT! Tour. Gnagey is using the moving fixtures in a variety of situations, counting on them to perform as a beam type effect that can punch through its surroundings; as a wash for softer moments; and as a dynamite hybrid when bright and sharp morphing looks are needed.

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    A key part of Gnagey’s production design is to wrap the lighting rig around the band. This forms a closer connection between the music and the lightshow. However, it also makes it critical to have a lighting fixtures that can change looks quickly and cover a range of moods.

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    The tower Rogues have also played a key role in helping Gnagey adapt his lighting to the widely varied venues on the RIOT! Tour, which will notch stops at everything from a cruise ship and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to State Fairs and giant amphitheaters before its conclusion. “Having to deal with a number of types of venues on this tour, we’ve had to make the rig very flexible,” he said. “By using the Rogues on towers, we’re able to scale the rig based on the trim height of the day.”

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    For more information on Magneto Live Design visit: www.magneto-live.com

    Throwback Thursday – Dimming and Electricity

    There is a really cool website that deals with the beginnings of filament lighting in theatres. Everyone should check it out as it speaks to the beginnings of our present era in the history of lighting. Check out CASSSTUDIO6 for some amazing behind the scenes shots and history of our industry.

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    The above photo is of the electrical room in the Paris Opera House in 1887

    While LEDs are becoming more and more prevelant in the theatrical world, there are still plenty of places where standard dimming is still being used and installed.  This is why CHAUVET Professional came up with the Ovation ED 190-WW and Ovation FD 165-WW.  These are LED fixtures that are designed to work with both DMX control and dimming systems.  A true bridge between the old and the new.

    Brothers Gow Adds Rogue R1 Spots From Chauvet To Its Well-Traveled Rig

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    FLAGSTAFF, AZ The 15-passenger van that Brothers Gow rolls with has logged a lot of miles of late, as the much-in-demand jam band has been playing to packed houses from San Diego to Seattle on its current “Bring The Heat” tour in support of its fourth studio album, Reflections. Fans aren’t flocking just to hear the quintet’s captivating blend of rock, funk, jazz and reggae, they’re coming to see it too, thanks to a quick moving light show that reflects the improvisational spirit of the music.

     

    Lighting is so much a part of the Brothers Gow experience that their website refers to their LD Matt Collier as the sixth member of the band. Collier, who traverses the country with the well-traveled band (it’s been averaging over 80 shows a year), shares the group’s passion for taking the audience’s experience to the next level. This commitment led him to expand his lighting rig for the current tour by adding Rogue R1 Spot LEDs from CHAUVET Professional.

     

    “I’ve been wanting to add Rogues to the rig for some time,” said Collier. “Their brightness and speed drew me to them, and they have a lot of special gobo features that I could use to create unique looks. This is important to us. We don’t want a Brothers Gow show to look like any other concert that you see at whatever club you find us at. That’s why we don’t rely on house lights for our rig.”

     

    Collier is using four Rogue R1 Spots on the “Bring The Heat” tour. He’s hanging the moving fixtures evenly spaced on 20’ upstage truss flown 15’ in the air by stands. “I make the Rogues the focal point of my rig because they are so bright and have very crisp, good looking gobos. The band covers a very wide range of musical styles and is very improvisational, so they can veer off in a lot of different directions. My Rogues are great for this environment, because they can keep up.

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    “The Rogue’s color wheel and gobo wheel are very fast; so is the pan/tilt movement, which is great for the intense high impact songs,” continued the LD. “But the fixture is also very smooth on slow pan/tilt movements for the softer songs. Touring a lot, we also play in a variety of places with different size stages. In the short time since I added them to our rig, the Rogues have been excellent in every kind of venue.”

     

    Joining the Rogues on the upstage truss are eight CHAUVET DJ SlimPAR 64 RGB LED color mixing fixtures. “I hang the Rogues from the truss and put the SlimPARs on top,” said Collier. “This creates some nice depth over the stage.”

     

    Above the upstage truss, Collier positions two CHAUVET Professional Q-Spot 560-LED moving fixtures. He also flies two additional Q-Spots on downstage truss. Collier uses the upstage Q-Spots to “fill some negative space up top,” while the two downstage units are earmarked for front lighting. “They give me a cool look when viewing the rig from the audience’s perspective,” said the LD.

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    Also contributing to the eye searing look on the downstage truss are eight additional SlimPAR 64s and four Intimidator Wash Zoom 350 IRCs. “I really enjoy using the Wash Zoom 350 as front lighting because it allows me a large range of colors, and with seven LED’s at 20W apiece, it’s a very bright wash light,” said Collier. “Plus the zoom function lets me position and cover large areas very easily. Gotta light the money, and this fixtures does that very well!”

     

    Rounding out Collier’s Brothers Gow rig are four CHAUVET Professional Q-Spot 260 LED moving fixtures positioned evenly apart on the drum riser and on cases that flank it on either side. The low perspective of these Q-Spots creates opportunities for Collier to mix their beams with those of the Rogues on the downstage truss to create a dynamic multi-dimensional look.

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    Outside his rig, Collier has positioned four Intimidator Beam LED 350 fixtures. This gives him a crisp border for his design. “Having these fixtures outside the rig kind of frames what is going on in the middle and directs attention to band,” he said. “Also the beams are very bright, so cutting through wash or spot lights is easily done and allows a wider array of design options. This is good for the creative flow.” And as anyone who has seen this jam band play knows, going with the creative flow is what the Brothers Gow experience is all about, whether it’s on a musical instrument or a console controlling an ever expanding and ever more versatile lighting rig.

     

    Meghan Trainor ROCKS Nexus 4×4 and NXT-1!

    Next NXT-1 and Nexus 4×4 Step Up Energy Level For Meghan Trainor On Today Show!

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    NEW YORK – Grammy-nominated singer Meghan Trainor has been making waves ever since she burst on the music scene. It’s not just her highly resonant voice and distinctive blend of blue eyed soul, doo-wop and pop that make this effervescent star stand out, it’s also the confident, carefree way she defies expectations about body types and sets an example for 21st century women to define their own standards. Trainor’s independent exuberance was on full display during her recent appearance before millions of viewers on The Today Show, supported by an appropriately dynamic lightshow featuring a collection of CHAUVET Professional Next NXT-1 and Nexus 4×4 LED panels provided by WorldStage.

    Lighting designer Peter Greenbaum used the Next NXT-1 and Nexus 4×4 to create a seamless look on The Today Show’s Summer Concert Series Stage. “I wanted the lighting to pull everything together on stage, so we got this free-flowing ambience that caught viewers up in Meghan’s performance,” he said. “Meghan’s songs are so lively and full of fun, we couldn’t create a lightshow that was anything less.”

    Greenbaum used 20 Next NXT-1 panels in his design. All of the panels were placed on the stage deck, six lining the 12’ runway and 14 masking the upstage musician’s riser. The LD placed these panels as close together as possible to create a unified look on the runway. Complementing these panels were 12 Nexus 4×4 units, three on each of the stage’s four upright truss structures.

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    Arranged in diamond patterns, the Nexus panels were oriented toward the bottom section of the downstage truss and top section of the upstage truss, helping to create a multi-dimensional textured look. “We used the Nexus panels as diamonds rather than squares,” said Greenbaum “This configuration added an extra element of fun to the design, which was fitting given the nature of the performance.”

    Taking advantage of the color rendering capabilities of the Next NXT-1 and Nexus 4×4, Greenbaum created a rich variety of pastel hues on stage to match the mood of Trainor’s music. Also adding to the upbeat mood of the lighting design was the interplay between the LED light sources of the Next NXT-1 and Nexus 4×4.

    “I love the look of the individual cells on both units,” said Greenbaum. “The smaller cells on the NXT-1 and the larger ones on the Nexus really work well together. This is especially so when you add the movement of the NXT-1 panels. So you have smaller beams and large ones, moving beams and static ones, plus all the changing patterns and colors. It all adds up to excitement and fun.”

    Greenbaum relied primarily on preprogrammed patterns in the CHAUVET Professional units for the Meghan Trainor lightshow. “Given the nature of our production schedule at The Today Show, we have very little time for programming,” he said. “However our programmer Mike “Googs” Gugliotti and outside LD Phil Grosso did an excellent job pulling everything together. Between them and Drew DeCorleto and the team at WorldStage, we accomplished some pretty impressive things. Anytime you have an artist like Meghan who has so many dimensions to her performance, you want to create lighting that does more than just sit there on stage. Based the feedback we’ve gotten, I’d say we created a lightshow that stepped up for a very energetic performer, and that feels very good.”

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    For more information on WorldStage visit: www.worldstage.com

    Outdoor Video Panels? Grab the PVP X6IP!

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    Looking for a tough, outdoor video panel for all of those summer gigs coming up?  You need to take a peek at the PVP X6IP from CHAUVET Professional!

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    SUNRISE, Fla. – As the festival and outdoor concert season kicks into high gear, lighting/production designers have a new tool that will make it easier for them to set up ultra-bright, weatherproof video walls at these events – the PVP X6IP high-resolution LED panel from CHAUVET Professional. Featuring a pixel pitch of 6.9mm, the PVP X6IP is an outdoor LED video panel rated at IP65 for its ability to withstand rain, while being brilliant enough to produce images that stand out in the daytime sun.   It is also very touring and rental friendly, thanks to an innovative design that allows for quick and secure assembly, easy serviceability in the field, and the versatility to be used indoors as well.

    With its high-res 6.9mm pixel pitch and ultra-bright 4,500-NITS illuminance, the PVP X6IP will render images and graphics of any type with impressive clarity, brilliance and definition of detail. The panel utilizes tri-color (red, green, blue) SMD 2623 LEDs with a black body to produce the highest in class contrast levels for video that “jumps out” even in broad daylight. Designed to be both video and audience friendly, it features a 3,120 HZ refresh rate and wide 130° viewing angle, making it ideal for use on-camera, while providing clear visibility from a broad expanse of “live” vantage points.

    Designers and installers will find that it’s easy to build video screens and walls of all sizes with the PVP X6IP, too, because CHAUVET Professional has included many innovative and quality features in its design. Each panel has a 19.7 x 19.7 inch (500mm square) display surface, and a thickness of only 3.27 inches (83mm), and is manufactured via a computer guided CNC cutting process to provide the ultimate precision for seamless modular connections. Stainless steel hardware is integrated into each unit to allow for easy and secure interlocking between panels.

    For quick, effortless mounting on truss or pipe, the PVP X6IP can be used with CHAUVET Professional’s RB-X50CM or RB-X200CM X-Series Rig Bars (sold separately), which include adjustable connectors that facilitate easy alignment of the panels. Installation can also be accomplished via M12 threaded inserts that are conveniently positioned on all four corners of each panel.

    Another handy aspect of the PVP X6IP’s design is that the LED modules themselves are magnetic. This allows for quick replacement of LEDs on the spot whenever necessary, for easy serviceability on the road as well as the repair bench.

    To increase safety in outdoor settings where wind is always a factor, the PVP X6IP features a blow-through design with an 8% transparency. But CHAUVET Professional has incorporated innovative sealable louvers into the design, which can be closed to block out back light, giving the panels the versatility to perform equally well in indoor applications. This increases their value to dealers and rental houses, noted Anthony Chiappone, Product Manager for CHAUVET Professional.

    “We looked at everything lighting and production designers, installers and dealers wanted in a high resolution outdoor video screen, and we created the PVP X6IP to do it all,” said Chiappone. “From its black-body SMD 2623 LEDs and 6.9mm pixel pitch, which produce daylight-defying brightness and highly detailed images, to its rugged IP65 outdoor rating and ease of setup, the PVP X6IP is designed to deliver outstanding performance on the touring and festival circuit.

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    “It’s even got some very innovative features such as the sealable louvers for indoor use, which were included to give the panel greater versatility,” added Chiappone. “Rental houses and dealers will appreciate the efficiency of stocking one product that has the functionality to fill a variety of different client needs.”

    Made of solid die-cast aluminum, the PVP X6IP panels are durable enough for years of touring and rental use. Yet they’re also very lightweight — just 19.8 pounds (9 kg) each – making them easy to transport and handle.

    Operating on LINSN control protocol, the PVP X6IP panels include Seetronic Etherkon IP65 data connectors. They work with CHAUVET Professional’s VIP Driver (sold separately), which will act as an interface between any

    DVI or HDMI video source and the PVP X6IP, and allow media playback, configuration, addressing and remote power control of the panels.

    Learn more about the PVP X6IP:
    http://www.chauvetlighting.com/pvp-x6-ip.html

     

    THE WHO, Rocking and Rolling, with NEXUS 4×4!

    Have you seen the new tour that The Who is doing around the world? They are just as excellent as ever, never stopping, never quitting, and now they are rocking a huge rig that includes 50 of CHAUVET Professional’s NEXUS 4×4 pixel mapping LED wash panels on the US legs of the tour!

    You have GOT to see these great photos…  Check it out!  Also, check out some audience view video of The Who rocking with the NEXUS 4x4s (and some more video of NEXUS and The Who HERE!) from our CHAUVET Professional Facebook page!

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    For more on The Who’s 2015 Tour, check out Pollstar — dates and times, etcetera.  Great website for lighting industry people if you haven’t heard of it already!

    Road and Rental Ready PVP X6IP Outdoor Video Panels!

    Such a large amount of production calls for outdoor video, and CHAUVET Professional is at the forefront of providing a tough weatherproof solution to the need — meet the PVP X6IP outdoor video panel!

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    SUNRISE, Fla. – As the festival and outdoor concert season kicks into high gear, lighting/production designers have a new tool that will make it easier for them to set up ultra-bright, weatherproof video walls at these events – the PVP X6IP high-resolution LED panel from CHAUVET Professional. Featuring a pixel pitch of 6.9mm, the PVP X6IP is an outdoor LED video panel rated at IP65 for its ability to withstand rain, while being brilliant enough to produce images that stand out in the daytime sun. It is also very touring and rental friendly, thanks to an innovative design that allows for quick and secure assembly, easy serviceability in the field, and the versatility to be used indoors as well.

    With its high-res 6.9mm pixel pitch and ultra-bright 4,500-NITS illuminance, the PVP X6IP will render images and graphics of any type with impressive clarity, brilliance and definition of detail. The panel utilizes tri-color (red, green, blue) SMD 2623 LEDs with a black body to produce the highest in class contrast levels for video that “jumps out” even in broad daylight. Designed to be both video and audience friendly, it features a 3,120 HZ refresh rate and wide 130° viewing angle, making it ideal for use on-camera, while providing clear visibility from a broad expanse of “live” vantage points.

    Designers and installers will find that it’s easy to build video screens and walls of all sizes with the PVP X6IP, too, because CHAUVET Professional has included many innovative and quality features in its design. Each panel has a 19.7 x 19.7 inch (500mm square) display surface, and a thickness of only 3.27 inches (83mm), and is manufactured via a computer guided CNC cutting process to provide the ultimate precision for seamless modular connections. Stainless steel hardware is integrated into each unit to allow for easy and secure interlocking between panels.

    For quick, effortless mounting on truss or pipe, the PVP X6IP can be used with CHAUVET Professional’s RB-X50CM or RB-X200CM X-Series Rig Bars (sold separately), which include adjustable connectors that facilitate easy alignment of the panels. Installation can also be accomplished via M12 threaded inserts that are conveniently positioned on all four corners of each panel.

    Another handy aspect of the PVP X6IP’s design is that the LED modules themselves are magnetic. This allows for quick replacement of LEDs on the spot whenever necessary, for easy serviceability on the road as well as the repair bench.

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    To increase safety in outdoor settings where wind is always a factor, the PVP X6IP features a blow-through design with an 8% transparency. But CHAUVET Professional has incorporated innovative sealable louvers into the design, which can be closed to block out back light, giving the panels the versatility to perform equally well in indoor applications. This increases their value to dealers and rental houses, noted Anthony Chiappone, Product Manager for CHAUVET Professional.

    “We looked at everything lighting and production designers, installers and dealers wanted in a high resolution outdoor video screen, and we created the PVP X6IP to do it all,” said Chiappone. “From its black-body SMD 2623 LEDs and 6.9mm pixel pitch, which produce daylight-defying brightness and highly detailed images, to its rugged IP65 outdoor rating and ease of setup, the PVP X6IP is designed to deliver outstanding performance on the touring and festival circuit.

    “It’s even got some very innovative features such as the sealable louvers for indoor use, which were included to give the panel greater versatility,” added Chiappone. “Rental houses and dealers will appreciate the efficiency of stocking one product that has the functionality to fill a variety of different client needs.”

    Made of solid die-cast aluminum, the PVP X6IP panels are durable enough for years of touring and rental use. Yet they’re also very lightweight — just 19.8 pounds (9 kg) each – making them easy to transport and handle.

    Operating on LINSN control protocol, the PVP X6IP panels include Seetronic Etherkon IP65 data connectors. They work with CHAUVET Professional’s VIP Driver (sold separately), which will act as an interface between any
    DVI or HDMI video source and the PVP X6IP, and allow media playback, configuration, addressing and remote power control of the panels.

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    Read more on the PVP X6IP:  http://www.chauvetlighting.com/pvp-x6-ip.html

    Let’s Talk LED Houselight! The Ovation H-105WW

    COB technology, multiple hanging/mounting options, myriad data/power connections, and interchangeable lenses make the Ovation H-105WW LED Houselight a serious deal sealer!  Check this out!

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    SUNRISE, Fla. – CHAUVET Professional has added a versatile LED house light to its award-winning line of Ovation stage and studio fixtures. The new Ovation H-105WW is a warm white fixture that features COB LED technology to produce an exceptionally flat, even, flattering field of illumination when used as a house light in any environment.

    Powered by a 100-watt, 50,000-hour-rated, 3048K (at full operation) LED source, the Ovation H-105WW is ideal for theaters, houses of worship, colleges and other venues that want to bring the energy-saving, low-heat, low-maintenance advantages of LEDs to their house lights. Additionally, it features convection cooling for completely silent operation, as well as adjustable PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to eliminate flickering, making it a perfect choice for applications that involve TV and video filming.

    “Many theaters and churches are so happy with the cost savings, reduced electrical load and other benefits they’ve enjoyed from LED stage lighting that they now want to make the switch to LED house lights as well,” said Ben Dickmann, Product Manager for CHAUVET Professional. “We designed the Ovation H-105WW not only to meet the growing demand for LED house lights, but to go beyond expectations by offering enhanced performance and features.

    “For example, we included COB LED technology on the Ovation H-105WW to provide outstanding smooth and uniform lighting. We also use an innovative radiant cooling design, as many modern venues require silent operation. Finally, we made it camera friendly with adjustable PWM, because today many live shows and church services are being videotaped for TV or streamed over the internet,” noted Dickmann. “In addition to superior performance, we gave the Ovation H-105WW some great added features that make it extremely versatile and convenient to use.”

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    Among these added features are four different interchangeable lenses (15°, 30°, 42° and 60°) that come standard with the Ovation H-105WW, allowing adjustments to be made for varying mounting heights. Also included is an egg crate glare reducer, which fits onto the front of the fixture to block out annoying periphery light. Versatile hanging options are provided as well; the unit comes equipped with an attached yoke for pipe mounting and can also be suspended from an integrated loop-eye for use as a pendant light.

    Designed to be equally at home in permanent or temporary installations, the Ovation H-105WW includes 5-pin XLR and terminal blocks for DMX connections. Operational in three different DMX channel profiles (1-, 2- or 4-channel), it also features RDM (Remote Device Management) for added programming flexibility. RDM makes the installation process much faster and easier, Dickmann pointed out, since it eliminates the need to have an install electrician climb up on a ladder, lift or scaffolding to access the fixture. “With RDM, the programmer him/herself can address the fixtures, choose which DMX profile to use and even monitor the operating temperature directly from the lighting console. This makes the setup and operation of the entire system much easier,” he said.

    Other features on the Ovation H-105WW include 16-bit dimming for ultra-smooth fades, built-in automated programs and a variable strobe (0 to 25 Hz). The unit weighs 14.2 pounds (6.5 kg) and measures 17.4 x 8.7 x 6.4 inches (441 x 221 x 162 mm), and it is CE and MET approved.

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    See more on the Ovation H-105WW at http://www.chauvetlighting.com/ovation-h-105ww.html

    ROGUE, Pro Systems, and the San Diego Padres!

    ROGUE in the news!  We’re finding that people absolutely LOVE going ROGUE!!!  Check out a great story from San Diego, with the one and only San Diego Padres!

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    SAN DIEGO – Power was the name of the game as the San Diego Padres pounded the World Series-champion San Francisco Giants 10-2 on April 11 during their 2015 Home Opening Series. But the 20 hits off the bats of Padres sluggers weren’t the only pyrotechnics on display at Petco Park that Saturday night; the 42,823 fans in the stands were treated to a post-game laser lightshow with some punchy effects provided by 12 Rogue RH1 Hybrid fixtures from CHAUVET Professional.

    San Diego-based Pro Systems, which designed the lightshow, had recently added the Rogues to its inventory. A compact hybrid spot/beam moving head with 13 colors and gobo and prism effects, the Rogue RH1 Hybrid boasts an impressively intense output for its size: 170,000 lux at 15 meters at a 2.5° beam angle. Pro Systems had broken out the Rogues at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami several weeks earlier, but the company knew the Chauvet fixtures would be put to the test lighting up a venue the size of a major league ballpark.

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    “It was a real challenge to fill up a space as large as Petco Park,” said Brad Donaldson of Pro Systems. “We were contacted by the Padres a year ago about putting together a show of this type, but it just never came together. So they reached out to us again this year because they wanted a laser lightshow as part of their Opening Week festivities.”

    The challenge of illuminating such an immense space was compounded by the need to position fixtures in spots where they wouldn’t obstruct the sight line of fans. Pro Systems ultimately decided to set up rigs containing lasers and moving lights at seven carefully chosen locations around the stadium’s perimeter. From these seven vantage points, the company was able achieve coverage of the entire field, and Donaldson credits the Rogues with playing a major role in this accomplishment.

    “We used the Rogues in Beam Mode and we were definitely impressed with their output,” he said. “We also used some of their gobo and prism effects on the field, and it was quite remarkable how they cut through everything and looked so bright and good, especially in such a big space.”

    The 18-minute lightshow featured a soundtrack developed by Pro Systems, along with some San Diego-themed video clips which were intermingled with the lighting effects to “provide breaks for us to reset (the lights) and build up again,” said Donaldson. He added that the show went off extremely well, both with fans and the team’s management: “Looking around during the show you could tell people were having a good time. The Padres themselves said they got a lot of positive feedback from fans. In fact they said people liked it so much, they wanted to get another date on the calendar this year to do it again.”

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    For more information about Pro Systems, visit www.ProSystemsAV.com