Jands Stage

History

Scene Change boost their lighting inventory

Scene Change

Scene Change in Sydney has given their lighting inventory a boost with the addition of more ETC Source Four Profiles, Jands 4PAK-D four Channel Dimmer/Controllers and the new Jands Stage CL lighting console.

Vicken Hekimian, director of Scene Change Sydney, says that the Jands Stage CL is a smart entry-level console and ideal for controlling LEDs.

“It’s really easy to set up, simple to use and has a lot of features for the price point,” he said. “The menu structure is very good so it’s intuitive and easy to operate. It’s a great little LED control surface that simply just works.”

Vicken describes the ETC Source Four Profile as a particularly good value item saying that the cost for what you get is amazing.

“It’s a good, even light source and is very reliable,” he added. “We own many ETC Source Four Profiles and we’ve never had a problem with any of them. It’s a good robust light that just keeps on giving.”

Vicken states that the Jands 4PAK-D is handy due to its compact size and it has DMX so if needed, they can set the Jands 4PAK-D up remotely.

Stage CL Console becomes the Wizard of Oz

Oz Management Entertainment

Tony Jex, managing director of Oz Management Entertainment is thrilled with his new Jands Stage CL console, the little winner designed specifically for LED fixtures but just as suitable for conventional lights. Put simply, he loves the Stage CL’s capacity to control LED lights in an easy, old-school fashion with flash buttons and faders.

With some of the small DMX consoles you almost need a calculator to work out which fader is going to control which element of the DMX functions on your fixtures, ” commented Tony. “With the Stage CL, Jands has recognised that and seen a gap in the market. I did look at some software options as well but I prefer to ‘play’ the console like a musical instrument. A lot of the work I do is with bands that I may be working with for the first time and the Stage CL allows me to easily interact with them.

One feature that Tony particularly favours is the ‘one channel strip per fixture’ which helps him to change colours easily as well as fade in and out. He also likes the record feature that allows him to easily bring up a scene, hit the record button and in two steps it is locked away.

You can lock a scene away in a variety of places then recall it quickly and easily in a number of different ways making it perfect to use on the fly, ” Tony added. “I also like the snapshot (hold) function as well as the preset modes for colour mixing and chasing.
In the Mimic mode you can see the digital fader position, level of luminosity and colour for each fixture as it is all graphically laid out for you on the screen, as are elements such as individual steps of chases making editing super easy.

Oz Management Entertainment specialise in corporate events, small bands, weddings, conferences and gala dinners and they don’t carry large amounts of inventory compared to some of the larger AV companies, however what they do have, they own unlike most of their competitors.

We aim to provide a quality production but within the budget range of our marketplace, ” stated Tony.

Stage CL for 32 Hundred Lighting

Stage CL for 32 Hundred Lighting

Iain Reed, managing director of 32 Hundred Lighting, was one of the first to see the potential of the Jands Stage CL describing it as an ideal console for the stand alone market.

Although LED fixtures are increasingly being used as a cost-effective and flexible lighting solution, there was an absence of a suitable console for LED fixtures that would give direct control of their colour and intensity. That is until Jands saw the gap in the market and produced the Stage CL console which gives you all the manual controls and automation you need to get the most out of your LEDs.

With twelve direct fixture control channels, powerful yet simple recording function and a touch screen interface in a compact and elegant chassis, the Stage CL can be carried in one hand.

Iain Reed, managing director of 32 Hundred Lighting, was one of the first to see the potential of the Jands Stage CL describing it as an ideal console for the stand alone market.

“It’s really cool and great not to have to send a large console out on small job,” he added. “We use it for small corporate jobs as well as domestic jobs. We just set it up and leave it with the audio person to run it! You can pre-program your console with standard looks and special effects suitable for any occasion, and the console is so easy to use, just about anyone can operate it.”

Packed with features for users to get the most out of their LED lights, the Stage CL console is designed for simple operation enabling even a novice to operate comfortably. The console addresses the unique needs of venues that do not have a dedicated lighting operator by enabling people with little or no knowledge of lighting to still create an impressive visual impact.

“However, Stage CL’s simple controls also make it easy to operate shows on-the-fly,” noted Iain. “It has a very simple, intuitive interface and so far, our Stage CL has performed perfectly. It does its job and I view it as a Stage 12 for LED’s – excellent!”

Designed with smaller venues and operators in mind, the Stage CL is ideal for rental applications, audio-visual suppliers, clubs, karaoke bars, retail spaces, schools and houses of worship.

Photo: Iain Reed and Martin Bevz

CX magazine reviews Stage CL

Click to download a PDF of the CX review

Click to download a PDF of the CX review

Writing in the November 2012 edition of CX magazine, Jimmy Den-Ouden reviewed an early model Stage CL console running beta software.

The popularity of affordable LED fixtures has answered a lot of questions for many users, but at the same time it’s generated another, bigger question. How to control the darned things?

Typically people have gone down one of two paths – they use a standard 2 preset console which leads to confusion about which channel is intensity, and which channel does what colour, and so on. This sucks, but so does the alternative of buying a big moving light console (way more console than you actually need for a few LEDs) and only using a fraction of it. Stage CL represents the middle ground and it answers the above question.

Jands Stage CL leads the way in simple LED control

PLASA, 9 September 2012:
Jands announce the release of the Stage CL console, ‘Made for LEDs’

Jands have created a console designed specifically for LED fixtures. The Stage CL provides twelve direct fixture control channels, powerful yet simple storing and a touch-screen interface, all packaged in compact and elegant chassis you can carry in one hand.

CEO Paul Mulholland said “LED fixtures are rapidly becoming popular as a cost-effective and flexible lighting solution, but until now there hasn’t been a console that gives you simple direct control of their colour and intensity. We saw that there was a whole group of people who would benefit hugely from the ability to harness the true power of their LED fixtures, that’s what the Stage CL is all about.”

Designed with smaller venues and operators in mind, the Stage CL is ideal for rental applications, audio-visual suppliers, clubs and other venues, karaoke bars, retail spaces and houses of worship.
As well as providing the features to get the most out of what LED lights offer, the Stage CL is designed for the novice user.

We understand that lots of the places that use LEDs don’t have a dedicated ‘lighting guy’,.” says Mulholland, “and the Stage CL is designed to be so easy to use that people with little or no knowledge of lighting can create an impressive visual impact.”

To give this freedom, each of the Stage CL’s twelve fixture channels has a Saturation encoder and a Hue encoder that you can adjust to set the colour you want—as you turn the dials, a mimic LED on the channel shows the colour you’re creating. If you need to speed things up you can group any number of channels together and use just one set of controls to set the colour for all of them.

One thing that inexperienced users often find difficult is storing,.” says Mulholland, “so we’ve given the Stage CL a ‘one-press’ recording system. To record you just press the Record button, then press where you want to save it.. All in all, it’s about as simple as it’s possible to make it..”

The Stage CL represents an entirely new level of sophistication for smaller venues and low-cost lighting applications,.” says Mulholland, “we’re pretty confident that people who use LED fixtures will see its potential immediately..”

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Vista v2 is a Festival Favourite

Deaf Havana

The Jands Vista range once again proved its flexibility and power when lighting designer and programmer Steve Heywood chose to put Vista consoles, running the next generation Vista v2 software, in control at two recent UK music festivals.

For Meadowlands 2012, a diverse and vibrant event staged at Glynde Place in the picturesque village of Glynde in East Sussex, Steve and Dan Williams, the lighting designer for the event‘s main stage, shared operating duties on a Vista T2.

An eclectic line-up included acclaimed LTJ Bukem, who closed the festival with an entrancing four hour DJ set, as well as Lamb, Fink, Speech Debelle, Portico Quartet and many others.

With the usual limited programming available for a festival rig, which included moving lights, conventionals and the latest LED fixtures, Steve and Dan needed to be able to work extremely fast and �busk� accurately � one of the main reasons that Steve specified the T2.

To further maximise their limited time, he pre-programmed some elements using the Vista v2 software on his laptop to make the most of their programming time on stage and help give the refined show that he was looking for.

Steve put his own Jands Vista S3, also running the Vista v2 software, in control at Meadowlands‘ Soundharvest stage. The Vista family‘s consistent software interface made it seamless to swap between consoles.

A few weeks later, Steve once again used a Vista T2 as the house console for lighting the main stage at the Redfest event held at Robins Cook Farm near Redhill, Surrey.

Headliners included Modestep, Kids in Glass Houses and Foreign Beggars.

Steve loves the visual interface of the Vista v2 software, which makes it simple, quick and logical to programme, easy to busk, and most importantly, always lets him get precisely what he wants out of the rig. “It means that I can create exactly what I want when necessary�.rather than following what the console thinks I want� he explains.”

Dan Williams comments, “Having everything right there onscreen in front of you is great and makes real sense.�it‘s an extremely intuitive operating system.”

Steve concludes �The power and simplicity of using Vista v2 enables you to build a lightshow extremely quickly, but still lets you control the details. It‘s a great desk for improvisational and ’on-the-fly‘ operation, which is always an exciting way to work.�

Lighting equipment for both events was supplied by Oxford-based Robert Nisbet Event Production Services.

Click images to enlarge

Vista v2 for Pulp Summer Festival Shows

Lighting designer Rob Sinclair is using a Jands Vista system running the new Vista v2 software for the current highly acclaimed Pulp reunion tour, which sees the darlings of Britpop return in their glorious original “Different Class” line up from 1995.

So far, the European leg of the tour has seen the band play a string of high profile festival slots including the Isle of Wight Festival and headlining Sunday at the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park, London – with future UK summer dates including T in The Park and Reading / Leeds Festival – as well as a host of other European dates.

Pulp has always retained an art-house cult following, but there’s been an incredible reaction and real buzz about the band’s reunion. The shows are all packed and it’s become a “must see” event as fans old and new clamour to enjoy their stylish poppy mix of everyday life, art, dreams, subversion and phobias.

Rob is a long term fan of the Vista platform. He purchased his first Vista S1 control surface in 2008 shortly after the model‘s launch, and now owns three identical systems – comprising of a laptop running the Vista software, with a Vista S1 and two Vista M1 wings – to service his own shows. Currently the other two are busy touring the US with chart topping Adele (operated by Jon Barker) and the legendary Peter Gabriel (operated by Steve Kellaway).

For Pulp, there was never really a question of Rob using any other console. The band are touring their own video system and a small lighting rig, then each day hooking in to the locally provided rigs – all of which is controlled by the Vista. For the festivals, a small floor based ‘specials package’ is added and run through the desk.

On the new Vista v2 software – launched at Prolight+Sound, Frankfurt – he comments, “It’s a leap forwards. Jands has done a great job and with Vista v2 they have a strong basis for plenty of long term development.”

He thinks that Vista v2 has made great improvements in the way the control system interacts and deals with media servers, which is becoming more important as video is an integral element to his visual designs.
One of the many things he likes about the Vista operating system generally is the fact that it makes achieving straightforward things very easy, without taking away the ability to also engage in complex programming. The interface makes it intuitive to see what you are doing during programming, so editing is very quick.

Rob also comments that Jands are very helpful, quick and responsive to his needs and requests, really listening to what he and other users are trying to achieve.

Pulp Visuals

Pulp’s video set up consists of 15 two metre square Pixled F40 LED panels supplied by XL Video. These are arranged in five columns / three rows, set at different depths to avoid the clichéd ‘back wall’ scenario and introduce a bit of dimension to the stage space. The band and Rob were keen that the audience didn’t feel like they were looking at a TV!

Special video content – an eclectic mix of archives, vintage footage and completely new material created by three video artists – for the show is stored on a Catalyst media server which also takes in a couple of IMAG camera inputs.

The local lighting system and the Catalyst are triggered by the Vista, which also runs the touring lighting system – supplied by Neg Earth – plus a fabulous classic Pulp ‘neon’ LED sign made by Specialz and the set, a 1970s style Dimplex electric fire with false flames.

Rob’s objective was to make it as easy as possible to deal with the diversity of shows, venues and lighting rigs that he would have to contend with and to replicate their show as closely as possible each time with whatever was thrown at him. He loves the adaptability offered by the Vista‘s generic fixture model, which allows fast, accurate changing of fixture types without affecting the contents of the show. As more types of technology get used, the ability to deal with them becomes more important.

Using a console as small, portable and freight-able as the Vista S1 ensures that Rob can use his own desk on every show, wherever he is in the world.

Vista v2 was designed from the ground up to allow all levels of user get the most from whatever mix of technology they have available, whether dimmers, moving lights, LED, or media. With the simplicity to work fast, and the power to control the finest details, Vista v2 lets the user focus on creating a great looking show rather than on programming a desk.

It‘s powerful, flexible, highly practical and enables me to create the moods and feel that I want onstage – which is what is most important to me,” he concludes.

Neil Vann, Jands product manager at A.C. Entertainment Technologies, says “Rob‘s comments prove just how important the key philosophy behind Vista v2 is in the real world. Having to deliver the same high quality headline show with different rigs that incorporate different technologies, Vista lets users like Rob avoid getting caught up in the mechanics of programming. Vista’s powerful second generation generic fixture model makes the process of dealing with daily rigs simple, and allows Rob to focus on his main goal of delivering a fantastic looking show every time.

Spydeberg Rock Festival


Lighting designer Ronny Starheim specified a Jands Vista T2 console to control all lighting at the 2011 Spydeberg Rock Festival, a brand new event set in the picturesque environs of Spydeberg, Norway, south east of Oslo.

The one day event was attended by 2,500 people – far exceeding expectations considering the local population is only around 4,000. An action packed line-up included The Backstreet Girls from Norway, Swedish girlband Cocktail Slippers and many others who rocked the day away in great style!

The stage was a 12 metre wide by 10 deep ground supported roof, under which a series of production trusses were hung. “My main objective was to provide an overall design that was diverse enough to give all the bands – and a Battle of the Bands competition – something unique and different for their sets” explains Ronny. This was a major reason he specified the Jands T2 console – running the new v2 software – for its powerful, quick and simple programming abilities.

It’s flexible, powerful, easy to use and gives plenty of scope for creativity, so I know I can put a show together accurately, quickly and efficiently”” he confirms, adding that it’s also one of the best desks he knows for working on-the-fly.

Talking generally on the new v2 software – launched at Prolight+Sound, Frankfurt to great excitement – he says “It’s absolutely brilliant! I already liked version 1, yet this is even better – even more intuitive, much more powerful and definitely takes things to a different level.”

At Spydeberg, the Jands Vista T2 was controlling a Robe moving light rig consisting of seven ROBIN 300 Beams, seven ROBIN 600 Beams and seven ColorSpot 700E ATs, all of which were hung upstage and used to produce classic ‘big rock show’ looks and intense beam work.

Upstage of the band’s backlines were eight Chroma-Q™ Color Force™ 48 LED battens mounted in four banks of two, which were used as blinder effects. These were chosen for their intense output and rich array of colours. Ronny thinks they are among the best blinder units currently available.

Ten Chroma-Q Color Block™ 2 LED fixtures were used for striking architectural illumination of the roof and its structural support towers. These are among Ronny’s favourite fixtures and worked brilliantly as truss warmers on this show. “They are hugely versatile, bright, easy to fit in to any space and have an excellent dimming curve” he expands.

Far upstage was a ShowLED animation curtain, used as a changeable and funky backdrop, and on this same truss were seven Robe ROBIN 600 LEDWashes, a fixture that Ronny thinks is fantastic. The lighting rig was completed with eight strobes.

Content for the ShowLED curtain was stored and played back via a Green Hippo Hippotizer media server.

Lighting for the event was run by experienced Norwegian lighting programmer Lars-Erik Braatlie. “He did a fantastic job” says Ronny, explaining that programming time was limited, but using Vista v2 really helped produce a great looking show in a tight timeframe.

Vista v2 was designed from the ground up to allow all levels of user to get the most from whatever mix of technology they have available, whether lighting, LED, or media. Available in a wide range of hardware, Vista v2 offers both the simplicity to work fast, with the power to control the finest details, so everyone can focus on creating a great looking show rather than on programming a desk.

Jands Europe‘s Neil Vann comments “On this style of event, where things are constantly changing, the flexibility and accuracy of Vista v2 really comes into its own. Just because you don‘t know what the next act sounds like doesn‘t mean you should have to compromise on how good the show looks – and Lars-Erik and Ronny are part of the ever growing worldwide family who prove each day that with Vista you don‘t have to.”

The inaugural Spydeberg Rock Festival proved such a massive success that next year’s event is already being planned, complete with an extra day, increased capacity, and a Jands Vista console at front of house.

Whites Chapel United Methodist Church

Photo © Doug Kovach

Texas-based Whites Chapel United Methodist Church (WCUMC) has invested in a second Jands Vista T2 lighting console and GLP LED fixtures, to enhance the delivery of traditional worship messages in its main sanctuary.

WCUMC seeks to make traditional worship relevant for today through inspiring messages delivered with a fresh and innovative approach. The Church‘s main sanctuary is a multi-purpose venue hosting services, concerts, conferences, weddings, funerals and other special events, complemented by a smaller venue used for contemporary and youth worship.

A few years ago, WCUMC decided to upgrade the lighting in their contemporary worship venue to help deliver their message. Keen to utilise innovative lighting technologies to give services a look and feel that would appeal to their youth audience, the Church invested in their first Jands Vista T2 control console and moving heads.

Tim Georgeff, Director of Creative Arts at WCUMC, commented: “The lighting in this venue really accentuated the mood of our services. Not only were we able to create exciting moving light shows to complement our worship, we were able to use the capabilities of the gear to highlight special moments, spaces and timing in the services.”

Much positive feedback from the congregation helped the Church see the benefits of utilizing similar capabilities in their large sanctuary space, which was only equipped with conventional PAR Cans and an old lighting console.

In addition to using their own Vista T2 console in the contemporary worship venue, the Church had been renting another Vista T2 desk for big events in the main sanctuary for nearly three years, so Tim was convinced it was the right console to purchase for their needs.

When it came to upgrading the sanctuary‘s lighting to automated fixtures, WCUMC adopted the new GLP Volkslicht due it combining the benefits of an automated moving head with the latest
energy-saving LED technology. The cost-effective fixture uses 60 Rebel LEDs to create a full color palette from strong saturates to subtle pastel colors. The small size, light weight and low power consumption make the Volkslicht ideal as a sustainable upgrade.

Tim commented: “The ability of the GLP fixtures to be aimed remotely has allowed us to place them in hard to access areas that give us great flexibility in our lighting looks and designs. We are able to create different looks utilizing their colors and mobility, providing highlighting of our architecture in the choir loft and organ chamber and backlighting of our chancel and stage area during worship. They are also used to provide effectual movement through the congregation on occasions that call for those moves.”

The upgraded lighting system includes GLP Volkslicht fixtures, Chroma-Q™ Color Block™ multi-purpose LED fixtures and High End Systems Cyberlights. The Church rents additional moving lights, LEDs and hazers for larger special events.

The Vista console is patched into the sanctuary‘s house lights system, enabling WCUMC to control the house, architectural and worship lighting with it. The venues‘ Vista consoles are programmed and operated by both the Church‘s volunteers and paid production staff.

Featuring a volunteer-friendly simplicity which has made it such a hit in the worship market, the award-winning Jands Vista lets users work visually to get on with designing better looking shows, rather than getting distracted by the actual programming process itself.

Summarising his experience of the new lighting system, Tim Georgeff, Director of Creative Arts at WCUMC commented: “We use the Vista to control the lighting for everything we do in our worship venues. The addition of intelligent lighting and the Vista console have allowed us to have confidence that our worship is going to look great, and that our staff and volunteers can be effective at providing great support through the versatility of the Vista. Our congregation is really enjoying what we call our ’ancient future‘ look: a traditional sanctuary enhanced with intelligent LED lighting. It is AWESOME!

tobyMac Winter Wonder Slam tour

tobyMac ©Jeff Culmer

tobyMac ©Jeff Culmer

Lighting and video designer Nick West specified a Jands Vista T2 console to provide lighting, IMAG and video control for the recent tobyMac annual Winter Wonder Slam tour. The American Grammy award-winning gospel rapper’s explosive show featured Diverse City, his 8-member touring band, and played a series of US Arena dates throughout November and December. The touring schedule re-commences in March to promote the launch of tobyMac’s latest studio album, Tonight.

Tour lighting was provided by Axxis Inc., with lighting design, direction and programming by Nick West. Video was provided by Big Picture.

When it came to specifying lighting control for the tour, the Jands Vista was Nick’s desk of choice. Nick is an experienced user of the Vista range, switching between a rented full size T2 console for tours and his own S1 control surface for fly dates or using as a wing, which he takes on every show.

He commented: “When I saw the Vista, the timeline and ability to swap fixtures were major selling points. Often I fly to a show that morning and I may only have 30 minutes with the rig before we play, which gives me just enough time to focus. With the Jands Vista’s Mac or PC based offline editor, one quick advance call to get the fixture types and addresses from the local company and I can have the console ready to go before I even show up on site.”

The tour rig centered around a Barco Slite LED video wall upstage for IMAG and a low resolution Barco MiStrips LED wall in front of a 40 foot wide by 5 foot high riser.

120 Par Cans arranged in a 30 by four configuration were also flown in and out during the show, providing a major set piece used to spell out words. Nick was originally going to pixel map the Par Cans, but after starting to pre-program them on the Vista he found the console’s graphical based approach to programming made it very easy.

He commented: “The show starts off with ‘TOBY MAC’ spelled out in the Par Cans. After a couple of shows, Toby asked if I could do something specific with them, such as having them come on as if someone was writing it. I was able to instantly grab the fixtures, work with them in the timeline and have the effect within 30 seconds of him asking for it.

The rig also included 22 Martin Mac 700 profiles, ten 26 degree Source Four Lekos, three ETC Sensor racks and two Motion Labs 220V Distros. Video came from a Catalyst HD media server. The lighting, video and live camera feeds were all triggered from the Vista T2 console.

Summarizing his experience of the Vista, Nick commented: “I use the Vista for anything and everything I do. It’s great having on-board visualization of your fixtures and the flexibility to layout the console to your specific needs. The Vista is great for controlling lights, IMAG and video. Technical support for anything is very quick. Jands listen to their users and continually make requests and ideas happen.”

Other production staff on the tour included Tour Manager Ryan Lampa, Stage Manager Sam Shifley, Lighting Crew Chief / FOH Cam Anthony Morgan, Lighting 2nd John “2Tone” Sumitra, LED Tech / Robotic Cams Jeff Culmer, and Shoulder Cam / Video Tech Nick Bush.