The lighting department at Gladstone Entertainment Centre has become home to a variety of innovative lighting products courtesy of Show Technology. A couple of years ago they purchased a MA Lighting grandMA2 light console to add to their existing MA ultra-light console and this was followed recently by an MA onPC command wing.
“The onPC command wing is a control surface that everyone is familiar with,” commented Chris Eichler, a Gladstone-based lighting designer associated with GEC. “For the Boomtown Festival (pictured) I was using it to run video through our LED panels. We do multiple venues and it’s great for the smaller satellite venues where you don’t want to drag the MA2 too but you still want the MA2 features.
“The onPC command wing offers a seamless transition from the hardware console. I’ve just bought a heap of touchscreen laptops for the onPC so essentially you plug in the onPC command wing and you have a MA light.”
A few months back two Robert Juliat Super Korrigan follow spots were added to the venue and Chris is especially enamoured by their rolling dimming.
“I think it’s awesome!” he declared. “It’s so quick and easy, and right there where you need it. So if you’re trying to do a palette change you can still dim at the same time. They’re bright for their wattage, reliable and nice to use.”
The Centres latest purchase is twenty Martin MAC Vipers which have impressed the lighting crew no end.
“They are fantastic and their output is incredible,” said Chris. “We’ve only had the Vipers three weeks and have used them solidly. They’ve performed flawlessly and have great colours, nice gobos and are very bright.”
All photos, except the truss shot, are Gladstone Harbour Festival. The truss shots are from QMF ‘Boomtown’ also at the marina. The lady in the photos is Mishka Greene, a trainee theatre technician at the GEC.
Photos: Chris Eichler
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