Vari-Lite, the industry pioneer in moving head lighting control and Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) entertainment lighting brand, today announced the RigSwitch+ Power Platform, a family of customizable all-in-one power control solutions for entertainment lighting installations.
“Entertainment lighting technology has shifted significantly over the last 10 years,” explains Jon Hole, Product Manager, Vari-Lite Systems and Controls at Signify. “LED sources have gone from an option to become the standard, and modern entertainment lighting systems need relay-controlled power for the rig, and often 0/1V-10V or DALI for house or work lights as well. However, because there is often no longer a dimmer room, the devices need to be small format with fewer boxes. There is limited space, and so the cabinets need to be quiet and resistant to both dust and tampering, with a single key to manage access. That’s why we created the RigSwitch+ Series, which offers affordable and scalable rig and architectural power in a variety of cabinet sizes.”
A single global power platform with 120V/277V and 230V power options, RigSwitch+ provides relay switching with configurable propagation delay and is available in branch-fed and mains-fed wiring variants. RigSwitch+ cabinets are available in a variety of channel counts, with onboard current monitoring on all models. All models can be easily controlled by DMX, with RDM management support built in as well.
“Because the power in an entertainment lighting space is not being used by an electrician—and often not even a lighting engineer—the system needs to be reliable and easy to use,” explains Hole. “Everything should work together and be easy to control, even without using the lighting console. And because these systems can last decades, the product should be scalable and built to last, with long-term support and modular upgrades if needs change down the line. That’s why, besides the integrated power control, RigSwitch+ also includes space to customize the cabinet by adding a variety of modules to connect to a variety of Vari-Lite and third-party devices and systems, including DMX, RS232, digital I/O, and more.”
Thanks to onboard Ethernet connectivity and a built-in user interface in most models, RigSwitch+ also provides remote power control via sACN, Art-Net, Vision.Net, OSC, or via web-based interface or API. RigSwitch+ can act as a 1 universe Ethernet-to-DMX gateway, and it includes an optional integrated timeclock as well. And with support for daylight and occupancy sensors, DMX/RDM signal detection, and emergency alert response, RigSwitch+ can automatically adjust to environmental changes without user interaction.
“To make RigSwitch+ as easy to order, commission, and manage as possible, integrators can order the new cabinets using a single product code,” adds Hole. “The cabinets arrive pre-wired, and the electrical contractors can easily install them with no extra training. The integrators can then come in and configure RigSwitch+ via common RDM tools or the onboard web interface.”
To ease regular monitoring, the cabinets can be managed via RDM, with dedicated user interfaces available on Vari-Lite Neo X Series and FLX S Series consoles. In addition to the cabinet itself, administrators can monitor connected Vari-Lite RigSwitch+ and architectural control devices from a web browser on your PC, Tablet, or Phone.
RigSwitch+ is available in four different cabinet sizes, with relay options ranging from 4 channels to 52 channels. To simplify ordering, an easy-to-use configurator tool is available for download from the Vari-Lite website.
