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Diamond III : POWER & PERFECTION
The d3 offers all the power and flexibility of the hugely successful Diamond II, the DMX console of choice for large tours, in a streamlined format. It further extends the dynamics and range of Avolites moving light consoles and ensures there is a desk for every show and occasion, however demanding!
Any of these parameters - gobo's, positions, effects, etc. can be applied to any groups, making this a formidable programming tool.
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Different ClassNothing has made more impact on the UK 'indie' music scene over the last 3 years then the inventive, quirky, no-nonsense, tuneful strains of Britpop. A steady succession of good quality bands have combined chart and live success without selling out to the banalities of corporate sanitisation, making the late 20th century one of the most creative periods in British music history.Three bands that have stood head and shoulders above the rest in terms of stature and popularity are Blur, Pulp and Oasis. All three have also featured Avolites' consoles on their latest tours. Lighting designer for Blur and Pulp is Dave Byars who won the 1996 LIVE Award for his efforts and imaginatively adventurous designs. Dave has worked with Blur since they were a club band. He first lit Pulp a couple of years ago when they supported Blur during an American Club tour. His designs for Blur were always extravagant, pushing the boundaries of technology and art to the extremes. This reached breathtaking conclusions in the designs for the Great Escape tour where the stage set was a nightmarish but comical vision of tasteless theme park society, including four giant dancing hamburgers and a collection of oversize anti-depressant capsules.The lighting rig featured a large generic rig, colour changers and a diversity of moving fixtures including Golden Scan HPE's, Robo Colors and Vari*Lite 5's. In addition to these, the set was littered with architectural lights, neons and strobes and even the smoke machine was controlled by the Diamond II. Dave's design for Pulp played on circles and domes with a neon and plasticy textured feel to it, complete with Golden Scans, Robo Colors and other intelligent fixtures. Dave is a confirmed Avolites fan. His first Avolites experience was using a Sapphire on Elastica two years ago. As there were so many different instruments to control at Blur's spectacular Mile End stadium show last year, he graduated to a Diamond II and now wouldn't use any other desk. "It's the only console that offers hundreds of channels in a format you have always been used to" he comments. "It's a lighting desk first and foremost (as opposed to just a dedicated moving light controller). One that also makes it extremely easy to programme, edit and playback moving lights".Dave is also impressed with the service from Avolites, "You are treated as a person as opposed to a number which is refreshing and positive".
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American Hot
Top grossing touring acts of 1996 to have benefited from having their light-shows controlled via Avolites desks include Garth Brooks (LD David Butzler/Diamond II), Jimmy Buffett (LD Sid Strong/Sapphire), Tim McGraw (LD Jerome Thompson/QM 500),CSN/Chicago (LD Ian Peacock/Sapphire), The Moody Blues (LD Joe Androff/Sapphire). On a slightly more contemporary note, Lollapalooza 96 designed by John Broderick and featuring Soundgarden, Metallica, Rancid and others) utilised two QM 500's, while the 1996 Organic Music Festival at Beare Mountain, Northern California, was designed by Andy Liddle using a Diamond II. The latter was one of the first dance music festivals to happen in the US and proved a resounding success with grooves from top acts such as The Orb, The Chemical Brothers, Meat Best Manifesto, Loop Guru and Underworld.
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Sapphire 96 and Pearl 96This year Avolites have released the new enhanced Sapphire and Pearl 96 software making liberating even more available power and flexibility.This incorporates many Diamond II features, the most requested of which is 'Chase Unfold' which allows the steps of a chase to be replayed across the playbacks as if they were memories. Steps can be inserted, deleted or edited, making alterations extremely easy. 'Memory Fade Times' have been enhanced with the addition of two new replay modes. The first allows the setting of fade-in and fade-out times for HTP channels and fade times for LTP channels and the second mode provides manual control of LTP channels. e.g. instruments can now be moved to a new position and then back again as the fader is moved up or down. The number of memories or chases available has bee tripled with the addition of three virtual pages, and more efficient memory usage has quadrupled the memory storage capacity.Script files are a new feature. These allow automation of the desk from an external source e.g. Time Code, an internal clock, an internal trigger input or a 'go' button on the desk itself. Programming is simple as fader movements are recorded in real time with up to 3,000 steps in each script file. Ninety nine script files should give plenty of scope for automation!
The patching system is made even easier with a 'Fast Patch' option that allows two button presses to patch up to 60 instruments. The desk can display exactly how to set the DIP switches on the back of fixtures which makes configuration of these even easier. Also included are the names of each parameter which are now displayed on the screen.
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SupersonicOasis, who released their first single just two years ago when they were playing the pub circuit, are now officially 'bigger than The Beatles'. Their laddish Mancunian behavior and attitude combined with superlative musicianship have made them into the largest contemporary pop icons in the UK. Lighting designer Mikey Howard has been involved from the inception, witnessing the meteoric rise of the band from clubs to stadia. His first Oasis tour was just prior to the release of the first number one album Definitely Maybe, at which stage the band were still using house lighting rigs. This was also the point at which he first made contact with Avolites desks, initially at The Forum, Kentish Town and then at The Astoria in London's West End. Both clubs have a Sapphire, and the experience impressed him enough to make him specify Avolites desks when the band took production on tour.
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Poetry for the 21st CenturyAvolites have had a superlatively busy year in terms of having desks on the highest profile tours and events of 1996. These have included Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Boyzone, Supergrass, Dubstar, Bryan Adams, Bjork, Ash, Sleeper and many, many more. One of the fastest rising and individualistic bands to emerge during the last 12 months has been Leftfield. Lovers of the adrenaline pumping, consumptive rhythm of techno, drum and bass and dance vibes have ensured that Leftfield's potent debut Leftism album has been a roaring success. Lighting designers for Leftfield are Giles Mayall and Selvin Cooper. Their collective creative philosophies are in keeping with the name of the band, resulting in a refreshing and challenging canvas of colour, ideas and expression. An Avolites Sapphire was on the Liveism tour, making much use of the Graphic Tablet for live colour mixing. Lighting gear included 12 Cyberlights, 22 Dataflash AF 1000 xenon strobes and 12 Vari*Lite 5 wash luminaires, via main lighting contractors CAV. For larger the rig was further boosted by 20 Intellabeams and 6 Cyberlights from The Spot Co., 12 V*L 5's and two Avolites Pearls. Giles and Selvin have made much use of the WYSIWYG system available at Avolites for programming their show. This enabled them to maximise valuable pre-production time. They are keen fans of the Sapphire, and as far as operating is concerned, the primary concern of Giles and Selvin for any desk is that it should offer maximum power and yet be easy to use in a live context. Their unique operating style makes much use of the overlaying of pre-programmed effects and sequences, structured in a very similar fashion to dance music itself. This creates "Random patterns in a controlled sense" explains Giles. Renowned for pushing equipment to the limits, the pair are adamant that the Graphic Tablet has changed their lives in terms of the ability to colour mix 'on top' of the show, as well as to track performers round the stage over the top of chases. Primarily important for them is that the Sapphire allows quick and simple programming with a minimal number of button presses. "Having faders is great" says Giles "Some moving light desks don't seem to think this is important any more, but they enhance programming greatly. The Sapphire can be programmed on many different, complex levels - it's all there, it's just a question of having the time to discover the possible multi layered creative fantasies".
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A Fine Choice
He adds that the majority of LD's he encounters feel the 'hands on' qualities of the Sapphire are second to none, and also that most people feel comfortable and familiar with the very practical layout. Darren describes the service from Avo as "Impeccable", adding "You can call any time and get the information you need. Tony's advice and persistence has been invaluable and above all, Avolites listen to what you have to say". Fineline's Sapphire has been used on many diverse shows, including the Bristol Festival of The Sea, the Beetle Bash, the Elkie Brookes tour the WOMAD festival and numerous trade shows and product launches with lots of moving lights. It is also out on the Gary Wilmot 'musical entertainment' tour being operated by John Samuel who is running it in conventional theatre style mode via two chases loaded with 200 odd cues on each. Each state is recalled with a single button press.The Gary Wilmot tour is John Samuel's first experience with an Avolites board, but he assures us it won't be the last. "This method of operation works perfectly" he enthuses, "I am only touching the surface with the desk but I love it and hope to get the chance for further exploration soon" This tour runs until the end of the year, so Darren is seriously considering investing in a Pearl to deal with all the other shows in the meantime.
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International Acclaim
The club's varied entertainment programme features a 9 piece showband who cover the UK charts as well as contemporary Cantonese and Mandarin hits, and they also run regular club nights with techno and rave DJ's. Joseph comments, "The Pearl is ideal for this application. It is powerful, easy and fast to use, packed with features and ideal for either live rock 'n' roll type operation or disco lighting". The club's operators, Juan and Jong, are also very keen on the desk and can't wait to now get their hands on the Diamond II. Joseph's association with Avolites goes back a long way. He frequently bumps into members of the Avo team on the Pacific Rim and SEA trade show circuit and has also visited Avo in the UK. He maintains that his experiences with Avolites people and products have always been excellent, "They really appreciate and listen to what customers have to say about the products". and he hopes that the Pearl in the Jazz and Blues Club will be the first of many in Malaysia.
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Video Stars
Avolites' Steve Warren and the Pearl console are star of stage and screen in the long awaited Avolites training video which is now available.
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Always at the forefront of state-of-the-art technology, Avolites once again launch a new product having conducted extensive research and paid acute attention to customer feedback over the last year.
