Apr 30 2010
29 April 2010 Digital and automated lighting pioneer Barco / High End Systems is proud to announce that its Cyberlight 2.0 moving mirror lighting fixture is now on tour with acts such as Alice In Chains, Bon Jovi, and John Mayer, with spectacular results.
Alice In Chains tours with Cyberlight 2.0, SHOWBEAM 2.5, DL.3, and more.
Rooted in the legendary Cyberlight fixture of the 1990s, the Cyberlight 2.0 is a modern piece of engineering that merges power with speed and precision control. The Cyberlight 2.0's 30,000 lumens of pure light output is directed via an on-board high speed moving mirror with smooth motion at all speeds. Fixed and rotating Lithopatterns®, unique glass effects, and smooth CMY color mixing provide an infinite palette of colors and creative options for amazing lighting effects.
These attributes are being put to good use by many of the world's leading stage production and lighting designers. Among these artists is Mike Baldassari, principal of MIKE-O-MATIC Industries, L.L.C. of Hoboken, NJ and production designer for the current Alice In Chains tour. Baldassari chose four Cyberlight 2.0's to backlight the four band members, three of whom are frenetically roaming the stage while performing. By fitting the moving performers with tiny infrared trackers, the Cyberlight 2.0's can track the movement of the performers anywhere on stage, regardless of how fast they move. “Because the only thing that pans and tilts on a Cyberlight 2.0 is the mirror, the light beam can move very very quickly,” Baldassari stated. “During rehearsal the band members intentionally tried to outrun the Cyberlights and they couldn't do it. The Cyberlight 2.0 mirror can change direction really quickly, much faster than any yoke-based lighting fixture. After all this time, it's great to have this tool available again!”
The Cyberlight 2.0's powerful beam and purity of color are key reasons why the backlighting worked well, creating an infinite range of looks with minimal effort by the design team. “Because each musician has their own moving backlight which I can make any color, shape, or intensity, there's a lot less lighting fixtures needed,” Baldassari noted. “The punchiness of these lights makes all kinds of interesting effects possible and a lesser fixture just wouldn't give me these options. I wanted backlighting that could really cut through the other stage lights and could follow around some very active performers. The Cyberlight 2.0's fit that bill perfectly.”
According to Marty Postma, lighting and video director for Alice In Chains, the fixture's configuration means easier installation and more room on stage for other effects like video projection. “An interesting benefit of the Cyberlight 2.0 is that when you hang it sideways, as we have, it fits a lot tighter into the truss and doesn't hang as low as some of the moving heads,” Postma said. This saving in overhang translates into several more feet of clean, usable projection surface along the back of the stage. “That's valuable real estate for a show of this nature,” Postma added. The Alice in Chains tour is further enhanced with DL.3, SHOWBEAM 2.5, SHOWGUN 2.5, and Studio Command fixtures with control via a Wholehog 3 console and DMX Processor 8000.
For Bon Jovi's “The Circle Tour”, Lighting Designer Justin Collie specified Cyberlight 2.0 fixtures due to the speed of the mirror movement. According to Collie, “Its been a long time since we used mirrored fixtures. The Cyberlight 2.0's worked great, just like we pictured them.” In addition Collie complemented the Cyberlight 2.0 fixtures with SHOWGUN 2.5s. The Bon Jovi world tour continues on through 2011.
Lighting Designer Marc Brickman uses twenty Cyberlight 2.0 fixtures as the centerpiece of John Mayer's “Battle Studies” world tour. The fixtures are hung in moving pods each consisting of two fixtures hung in opposite orientations. Throughout the production the pods continually reposition to create dynamic looks on stage. Because only the mirror moves on the Cyberlight 2.0 fixtures, the fixtures always move smoothly as the pods fly around the stage. The show opens with the Cyberlight 2.0s positioned down low behind the band, then during a dramatic moment they rise up and reveal the stage. During another song the fixtures are all focused on John Mayer as they slowly corkscrew down around the artist. Marc Brickman was able to use many of the Cyberlight 2.0's new features to create stunning looks throughout the concert.
“The Cyberlight 2.0 fixtures have been very well received by many lighting designers,” said Chris Colpaert, VP of Creative Lighting for Barco. “These three tours are great examples of the benefits of a moving mirror fixture. We expect to see many more productions and tours making use of the Cyberlight 2.0 throughout the coming years.”