ELC Lighting is instrumental in André Rieu’s World Tour

Netherlands-based lighting company ELC has a history of developing networking products for the events industry, but not from the comfort of a remote laboratory. ELC’s founder Joost van Eenbergen said, “We started the company nearly twenty years ago by making the equipment we needed for live shows we were working on, and that philosophy continues to this day.”

A member of Joost’s software team, Bart van Stiphout, has been honing his skills on the recent André Rieu gig in Amsterdam. Bart was responsible for managing the extensive lighting network infrastructure, and his work in the field has led to the development of ELC’s dmXLAN v4 network management software.

André Rieu is a highly-respected violinist and conductor who performs large rock- and arena-style classical music events with his orchestra all over the world, particularly Europe and the Americas. Bart works on Rieu’s shows in Europe, designing and hooking up the Ethernet networks and then managing the system during the shows. In Amsterdam, Bart also integrated ELC’s Green-GO digital intercom system into the network, which won the PLASA awards in London and the USA when it was launched in 2011.

Bart explained, “In this show there are approximately 550 DMX-controlled fixtures, mostly moving heads!” It’s easy to see why the Ethernet network needs specialist hardware and a specialist to monitor it. What’s even more special is the specialist for the job is also one of the team responsible for ELC’s product design. No stress there then.

This leg of the tour took place in Amsterdam’s Museumsquare, with a complement of eight lighting towers in addition to the over-stage lighting rig, all connected using a mixture of ELC’s high-speed nodes, 2 into 10 DMX splitters (with RDM), and five Ethernet switches.

This gig also provided Bart with the opportunity to test the newly-released version of dmXLAN software. Joost said, “dmXLAN v4 is the tool our guys needed to do their job, so they created it themselves and we think this software is the best in the business.” Developed for use with both Windows and Mac OSX, the software is free to download from ELC’s website and can be used to configure and monitor a dmXLAN network, and also to control and test lighting fixtures connected to the network, independent of the brand of consoles and lighting fixtures used. The latest v4 version has a completely new look with many improvements, performance enhancements and new functions such as triple universe merging, new softpatch features, full RDM commands and feedback, DMX history, fixture patch importing, and the ability to export and print lists of data.

And how did the Green-GO intercom system connect into this arena-scale network? “We just needed reliable comms between the FOH control and ‘dimmer city’. So I plugged one Green-GO beltpack into a PoE switch by the desks and another into a similar port by the dimmers. Simple.” Instant communication using the lighting rig’s Ethernet network, that’s harmony.

– ENDS –

For editors:

ELC Lighting <www.elclighting.com> is based in Elsendorp in The Netherlands. It was founded in 1994 by Joost van Eenbergen, who worked on many live events and saw an opportunity to use this experience in the design and manufacture of lighting products for the theatre, concert, TV and the live events industry in general. His development team is still closely involved in live events, and all ELC products are developed and tested ‘in the field’. Sales and Marketing are managed by Silvio Cibien <mailto:sales@greengocom.com> of Anima Lighting, based in Switzerland.

Further details about dmXLAN v4 can be found on the ELC website < http://www.elclighting.com/download-software/software/27-dmxlan-software> and information about Green-GO is available from the website <www.greengocom.com>. Details of André Rieu’s tour schedule here: <www.andrerieu.com>.

All equipment supplied by Rent-All Netherlands in Bemmel

Kit list

ELC Equipment:

6x Node8 GB

4x Node4

5x Switch 8 LX

12x DT2210

2x Green-GO Beltpack

Control Equipment:

3x Hog 4

1x Hog 3 Rock wing

3x DP 8000

Fixtures:

67x Mac 3 Performance

14x Mac 3 Wash

18x JB Lighting A12

96x Mac Aura

242x Mac 2000 Wash

60x SGM P5

23x Xilver Droplet

Conventional lights:

DWE Sets

12-Lights

4-Lights

Par 64 Outdoor

Followspots:

2x RJ Lancelot

2x 2.5K

Press release prepared and distributed on behalf of ELC Lighting by
Technical Marketing Ltd <www.technicalmarketingltd.com> Tel: 020 8878 6626 acollier@technicalmarketingltd.com

       

                                                                                Caption: André Rieu concert in the   Museumsquare, Amsterdam. 

 Caption:  View from the stage with 5 of  the 8 lighting towers in view.

Caption:  ELC’s Bart van Stiphout keeping an eye on the lighting network with the latest version of dmXLAN management software. 

ELC Lighting are switched on for PLASA 2013

Networking specialists ELC Lighting will be presenting developments to their product range at PLASA London 2013, on stand H20 from the 6^th to 9^th of October at London’s ExCeL. With the move to a new exhibition venue and ELC Lighting’s new dmxXLANv4 lighting network management software nominated as a finalist in the “2013 PLASA Rock our World Awards”, Silvio Cibien and Joost van Eenbergen have every reason to be looking forward to the show.

Joining the now established Ethernet networks for entertainment systems, ELC Lighting will debut a new and faster switch component – Switch8GB – forming a new backbone of the network distribution system. With 8 ports Local Area Networks have speeds of 10/100/1000 GB, plus a fiber optic option is introduced on ports 7 and 8. Thanks to the multiple back up loop feature there is fast recovery of back up data in the event of a glitch or interruption of the signal due to a cable break or accidental disconnection. Another smart feature that is sure to be appreciated is the ability for each Ethernet port to be assigned to different VLAN networks, for example keeping lighting control networks separate to audio networks. The Switch8GB is totally compatible with ELC’s dmXLANv4 system management software.

New software from ELC, derived from continuing experience gained through working on live events, is now available as dmXLAN v4. This completely revised freeware program for Windows and OSX recognises that managing the Ethernet network on live events has become a specialist role within the technical team in recent years. ELC’s software engineers often freelance on shows where they take responsibility for maintaining the integrity of data networks that distribute data for lighting, automation, LED screen and communications to distributed areas of the rig and dmXLAN v4 is the tool designed to do that job. Version 4 of the program has a new user interface and builds on the core network overview and remote setup of Ethernet switches and lighting components. New features include a full implementation of RDM, multi-universe merging (three universes may be merged on each DMX output port, and re-transmitted as a single universe), merged universe can be programmed as a full softpatch for each channel, merge functions such as a soft changeover between desks or a media server can be controlled by a DMX channel. Another great feature is that dmXLAN v4 can be remotely controlled and monitored via a web browser on a smartphone. PLASA’s Lori Rubinstein has informed ELC Lighting that the dmXLAN v4 Software is one of just eight finalists in the sixth annual “Rock Our World Awards”, to be presented at the PLASA Cocktail & Awards Reception at LDI 2013. The Rock Our World Awards were created to honour ground-breaking achievement by PLASA members and to acknowledge the genius of both the creator of the technology and the designer or integrator who applies it in a real world environment. Winners will be selected by a panel of industry judges and be announced at the PLASA Cocktail & Awards reception on Thursday, 21 November from 5:30-7:30pm at the Las Vegas Hotel during LDI 2013. 

Also featuring at PLASA London 2013 will be the much applauded, award winning Green-GO communications system, Offering many of the features only previously available in expensive matrix systems, Green-GO is a cost effective solution embracing intercom, cue light, show relay and text messaging that is scalable from just two users to more than 3,000! Green-GO offers a digital intercom system over Ethernet with 32 full duplex channels and no requirement for the expense of a master station or central matrix, as matrix information resides in each single unit, belt pack or wall station. There are savings too by avoiding the need for dedicated cabling as it can be run over most commonly used protocols such as ArtNet, ACN or even the office network. Green-GO which won the 2012 Rock our World Award is fast becoming a favourite for production teams from theatre to TV studio production, stadium concerts and grand opera – in fact any live event where precise timing is essential and clear communications between directors and equipment operators is critical.

Billed by the organisers as a “driving force in the development and promotion of the professional entertainment technology industry for over 35 years,” in an enforced move to ExCeL London, the show will open under its new name PLASA London 2013, and take place a month later than in recent years. Extolling the virtues of the move, PLASA CEO Matthew Griffiths said; "PLASA London 2013 reflects a new focus on international visitors … ExCeL London is just five minutes from London City Airport. London is already the best connected City in the world and this October, PLASA London 2013 will take place in one of the best connected venues in the world."

Visitors to ELC Lighting on stand H20 will have the opportunity to see the systems in use and discuss specific user requirements directly with the technical team. And for those less familiar with lighting protocol over Ethernet, there is a handy guide booklet available at the show.

– ENDS –

Notes for editors:
ELC Lighting

ELC Lighting www.elclighting.com is based in Elsendorp in The Netherlands. It was founded in 1994 by Joost van Eenbergen, who worked on many live events and saw an opportunity to use this experience in the design and manufacture of lighting products for the theatre, concert, TV and the live events industry in general. His development team is still closely involved in live events, and all ELC products are developed and tested ‘in the field’. 

ELC LightingIssued on behalf of ELC Lighting by Technical Marketing Ltd

For sales, contracts and product information, contact Silvio Cibien.

ANIMA Lighting Ltd -ELC & Green-GO  export & marketing 

Rte du Stand 20, CH-1897 Le Bouveret, Switzerland.

e mail: sales@greengocom.com.

For further information contact David Brooks

Technical Marketing Ltd., 235A Heath Road, Leighton Buzzard, Beds. LU7 3AG, England.

Tel. +44 (0)1525 854672.  

e-mail: dbrooks@technicalmarketingltd.com