Martin Maxxyz in control of Sing Live

23 October 2009

UK - On 27 September, lighting designer Jeff Atkisson positioned himself behind a Martin Maxxyz lighting console in London's Royal Albert Hall, ready to light the 10th Anniversary celebration of Sing Live a concert consisting of over 600 singers.

"It was at times overwhelming, but also amazing knowing that I was walking into the Royal Albert Hall, yet completely prepared for the show before it even happened."

Atkisson's confidence stems from pre-visualization and pre-programming prep work done weeks before and an ocean away on a Martin Maxxyz lighting console. Atkisson programmed 100 moving lights and 200 conventional lights in Orlando, Florida on Martin's ShowDesigner lighting and set design visualizer, which was connected to a Maxxyz console.

"Programming 100 moving lights on a visualizer for one of the biggest venues in the world was probably one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced, but it turned out to be the perfect application for the visualizer and it worked better than I could have ever imagined!," Atkisson reports. "I then moved the entire piece over to my laptop and was able to run all 425 cues that I had pre-programmed through all rehearsals to get the timing right. In London all presets were no more than 1 foot off which was pretty amazing. Everything transferred from the Maxxyz desk here in the US to the London Maxxyz flawlessly."

Atkisson used a Maxxyz PC for backup and practice playback for the event itself and a Maxxyz PC and a Maxxyz Wing for rehearsals.

"They performed flawlessly and I couldn't have gotten through the two days prior, including a full rehearsal, without them," he states. "This allowed me to be ready to walk into the space completely blind to a full Maxxyz console with less than 6 hours before sound checks and a full blown dress rehearsal.

(Jim Evans)