The brief was that it must accommodate a screen measuring a minimum of 46 inches, complete with Blu-ray player, laptop docking station, coffee maker and an integrated loudspeaker system.
5 Star's team began the initial design by sketching a few variants from which DiGiCo could choose a definitive version.
The overall design selected was a long 'Sideboard' type layout, housing all the necessary equipment including power sockets.
At the heart of it is an electric TV lift sourced from Penn-Elcom, featuring 730 mm of vertical travel and a wireless remote control. This device is the basis for an inbuilt 47" LG LED screen giving a 1080p full HD display.
The powered TV lift includes a flush fitting 'lid' so the 47" LED screen can disappear fully into the case, leaving a clear work-surface when that format / set up is required.
Hooked up to this screen, 5 Star also included a Toshiba Blu-ray player and a small Acer PC so DiGiCo has plenty of playback facilities for use at exhibitions, road-shows and customer demonstrations.
Also included is a Blue Sky EXO2 compact sound system which was supplied by one of DiGiCo's US distributors, Group One Limited, featuring two desktop satellites, a subwoofer and controller. The satellites are flush mounted into the case just below the work-surface, with the subwoofer ensconced at the bottom of the 19" rack bay for maximum neatness.
DiGiCo branding was applied by 5 Star's in-house screen printing department, and to complete the picture, a protective PVC cover was also supplied that fully shrouds the flightcase when in transit.
5 Star's CEO Keith Sykes nsays, "It's always great to work on projects with DiGiCo. This one was a little bit different and presented exactly the kind of challenges that 5 Star likes in coming up with a practical solution to meet all their needs, that is strong and rugged for touring and above all - looks very cool."
(Jim Evans)
