An Avolites Pearl was chosen to control the lighting rig at Matrix in Reading, part of the lighting design specification produced by Onka Narang. Onka has worked with the club promoter/manager Finbarr O'Brien since the early nineties at Roller Express in Edmonton.

Matrix's house lighting operator is freelancer Wesley Matthews, who's experience in the club world has included working extensively in First Leisure venues and at Regalls in Uxbridge, where he originally cut his teeth!

Wesley likes the Pearl primarily because it's easy to operate and very quick to patch fixtures into. He thinks the in-built shape and effects generators are excellent time-saving devices and they, together with the desk's other improvisational qualities, are essential for a 'live' club lighting and operating environment.

Fixtures being operated by the Matrix Pearl including six StarLite Mk 5s, ten Clay Paky Golden Scan HPEs and eight Mini Scan HPEs. Generics are destined to be added to this list very soon, along with Avolites digital dimmers.

Wesley also recently used a Pearl to operate several VL6s for the Kings Cross Challenge. The fixtures were used to illuminate the impressive fascia of St Pancras station while the Christmas Illuminations were activated by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

Matrix is one of a run of recent high profile club installations for Avolites consoles. Others include The Scala, Kings Cross (1 x Azure 2000), Home (2 x Pearl 2000s, 1 x Azure 2000), Fabric (2 x Azure 2000 Shadows), Media in Nottingham (1 x Pearl), Area in Watford (2 x Azure 2000 Shadows) and Cream in Liverpool (4 x Pearls).