Sydney’s Master Sound Productions has just had a bit of a Claypaky frenzy, adding eight Mini-B washes, five MIDI-B washes, and eight Mini-B spots to their hire inventory.
Master Sound are a one-stop shop that provides a full package: staging, lighting, sound, and the backline
The company is no stranger to the Claypaky family, already owning Alpha Beam 700s and Alpha Spot HPE 700s. Kyle Stephens, Company Lighting Designer, said their Claypaky fixtures have been great and are always reliable.
“They’re easy to set up because they’re so compact and lightweight,” he said. “On many jobs, we load in the gear, run the show, and then pack everything down again. With a lot of the equipment we use, that can take two or three people. Even though I’m in lighting, I often help the sound team set up, and they’ll come over and help with the lighting in return.”
The Midi-B is a compact, versatile and extremely bright wash beam that meets the needs of every application. Kyle says they have replaced the Claypaky B-EYEs they usually use as their front wash because the Midi-Bs are more powerful.
“We do a lot of daytime as well as night-time shows, so we need fixtures that can cut through both sun and shadow, and the Midi-Bs are perfect for that,” he added. “I also really like their colour correction, which looks very accurate to my eye. For me, the biggest drawcard is the amount of punch they deliver for the power they draw. They’re also very quiet, which is a real bonus.”
The Mini-B fixtures are also compact and exceptionally energy-efficient. Mini-B fixtures are the smallest LED beam lights Claypaky has crafted for the professional market, offering unmatched versatility for any show.
“The Mini-B washes are fantastic,” Kyle said. “Their output is incredible for the amount of power they draw, and the beam angle and colours are excellent. I also like using them for eye-candy effects. During daytime shows, we may not be able to use them as true backlights, but those looks are great for adding visual interest and dressing the stage.”
Kyle used the Mini-B washes in the play pictured, which was held in a very small theatre where the rig could only support a limited amount of weight. Fortunately, the small size and low weight of the Mini-Bs came to the rescue!
“They had a huge output, and I never needed to run them at full power,” he remarked. “They were also completely quiet. The Mini-B spots were excellent too; I used them to add texture across the stage, which gave the space another dimension. They’re incredibly bright for their size, and the effects are fantastic, especially the animation effect and the classic Claypaky gobo set that everyone loves.”
Kyle adds that the new Claypaky fixtures are ideal for their stage truck gigs due to their size and weight. Doing the gig by himself, he can set up in an hour and a half, and then the roof can go up, and then he can have fun with the lights.
Pictured left to right: Kyle Stephens, Gabe Zouain (Managing Director of Master Sound) and Gareth Mealing
