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City Theatrical Launches sHoW DMX Neo & Baby

City Theatrical is proud to announce their newest generation of wireless DMX:   SHoW DMX Neo. SHoW DMX Neo features the world’s highest fidelity, combined with blazing fast 7mS (or less) latency.  Users can choose from three operating modes, including Neo, Neo Adaptive, and Classic mode that is compatible with all existing SHoW DMX products.

Learn more about sHoW DMX Neo by downloading the data sheet.

If SHoW DMX Neo is about user control, SHoW DMX SHoW Baby is about simplicity.  Although SHoW Baby is fast and powerful, it has no user controls at all!  Each SHoW Baby is a Transceiver.  You don’t need to purchase separate Transmitters and Receivers.  To turn a Transceiver into a Transmitter, simply plug DMX in.  To make it a Receiver, don’t plug DMX in.  That’s all there is to it!  All units are completely plug and play and you can set up your system in seconds.

But while SHoW Baby is simple to set up, it contains the same fast and powerful radio as SHoW DMX Neo, and since it is in the Neo family, you can mix and match SHoW Baby and Neo together in your system.

Learn more about the sHoW DMX Baby by downloading the data sheet.

 

 

Review: The TRX Series, from City Theatrical and Philips Color Kinetics

Not long ago, Philips Color Kinetics introduced the next generation of Color Blast’s: The TRX Series. Adding 2 new colors to the standard regimen of Red, Green, and Blue, these new Color Blasts called for a more intelligent power supply.  Providing this new backbone is City Theatrical and the new PDS-750 TRX Power and Data Supply.  Not one to rest on their laurels, City Theatrical raised the bar with this reinvention of their industry standard PDS. Lets start at the beginning:

The PDS 750 TRX is housed in a very sturdy, 3U rack mount or pipe mount housing.  The front panel has the factory label; a stylish, red air flow grill; and the back-lit LED display and 5 button control interface. On the top of the fixture is a welcome cheat sheet that covers basic setup in all modes.  The back panel contains the PowerCon power input and fuse, the 5-Pin DMX In and Out, a USB connection for software updates, a 2-port EtherCon switch, the 12 4-Pin Fixture outputs, and the SHoW DMX wireless antenna.  There is also a small hole in the metal casing, presumably for a safety cable if you are pipe mounting the PDS.

Control of PDS-750 TRX is available via wired DMX, wireless SHoW DMX, Ethernet (ArtNet, sACN, or Ki-Net) or using one of the on-board programs or static colors.  Setup is quick and simple. Plug in your power cord and hook up your fixtures and then using either the on-board setup wizard or the advanced setup menus you can select your method of control. The PDS-750 TRX will run any combination of 2, 3 or 5 color CK fixtures. Using the on-board fixture patch you can actively adapt the fixture’s address’s so that there are no wasted DMX channels as in the past. A nice part about the setup wizard is that it will also identify the types of fixtures connected and ask you what control profile you want to use.

DMX control of the PDS-750 TRX is as simple as connecting a control source to the 5-pin input on the unit.  In basic 8-bit mode, the fixtures operate on one channel per color, up to the full 5 colors available in the Color Blast TRX’s.  Using my test console (an Elation SDC-6), the Color Blast dimmed smoothly and with a very even curve.

SHoW DMX control allows the PDS to operate wirelessly on any one of 16 different channels (or universes).  Using the same test console connected to a standard SHoW DMX indoor transmitter, I had full control of the fixture with zero lag time despite four WiFi networks and Bluetooth scanners also running in the same environment. A feature of note when running SHoW DMX is that the DMX connector on the back of the PDS will output whatever universe the PDS is receiving.  This allows you to control the rest of your DMX devices without investing in more receivers. It’s a very nice hat-tip from the folks at CTI.

Ethernet control of the PDS was a bit more challenging, but only due to the steps needed to enter the IP address information.  You can control the PDS over ArtNet, sACN (think ETCNet 3), or Ki-Net (Color Kinetics Architectural).  Having the extra Ethernet port is an excellent add-on that makes daisy chaining multiple PDS units a snap.

Not having a sACN source, I setup and configured the PDS for ArtNet control on a static IP address.  I then logged into the WiFi network with my iPad and using Alcorn McBride’s LightingPad was able to control the PDS perfectly.  There was no lag time and the dimming curves were as smooth as ever.  CTI also gives Ethernet control the same hat-tip as SHoW DMX by outputting the same control universe to the DMX port on back.

Not to be outdone, Philips Color Kinetics has taken the next generation Color Blast TRX to the next level. Featuring not just RGB color mixing, CK added Amber and White to the mix.  For theatre and Broadway applications, the soft tones that can now be mixed are a most welcome addition.  The Color Blast TRX also features a first-ever 4-character LED display and touch sensitive buttons for at-fixture controls.  As introduced with the TR, the TRX features both clear and frosted lenses that can be swapped out.  The rubber surround is gone and in its place is a CTI accessory holder.

Operation of the on-board control is simple and elegant.  Press the two outermost buttons at the same time and the controls unlock for about 60 seconds.  You can set the DMX address, fixture profile, set static colors, chases, and run a test mode to name a few functions.  The control buttons use the same type of touch sensor glass that many smart phones use.  You don’t actually press them, you just tap them.  One would imagine this will significantly increase fixture reliability as adding physical contactors adds a mechanical failure point.

Overall the color mix and output of the new Color Blast TRX is excellent.  However, don’t get rid of your iW Blasts just yet.  The amber and white are excellent additions that allow the TRX to mix some amazing new colors.  However, the white and amber only output is just not quite bright enough to be effective on its own.  Overall though, Philips Color Kinetics has added an excellent new addition to the Color Blast legacy.  Combined with City Theatrical’s new PDS-750 TRX, the bar has been set for ease of use and functionality.

The new TRX technology is available now for purchase and rental from most of your top lighting dealers in the US. To round out the family, CTI also introduced the new PDS-350 TRX (6-channel vs. 12-channel).  For more information please visit either City Theatrical or Color Kinetic’s websites.

City Theatrical Launches PDS-375 TRX Power Supply for CK Fixtures

The imaginative minds of City Theatrical are at it again.  The crew from New York have done it again, they have taken something well proven and used in the industry and made it even better.

City Theatrical has just launched a new power and data supply unit for Philips Color Kinetics LED fixtures, the PDS-375 TRX.  The PDS-375 TRX is the little brother to City Theatricals most recent addition to the line, the PDS-750 TRX.

Here is more from City Theatrical:

The unit can be controlled with all popular Ethernet protocols including Streaming ACN, Art-Net, or KI-Net, as well as wired and wireless DMX512, and is fully RDM enabled. Every unit includes a built-in SHoW DMX ® receiver.

The PDS-375 TRX provides full control capability for the new Philips Color Kinetics five color RGBAW ColorBlast 12 TRX, as well as 16-bit and 8-bit ColorBlast 12 TRs, iW Blast 12s, conventional 8-bit ColorBlast 12s, ColorBlast 6s, ColorSplash 2s, and other CKDMX fixtures. Each of the six outputs can be individually configured for the quantity of DMX slots required and the starting DMX address.

Other features include a built-in three port managed switch to provide an Ethernet pass-thru to down stream devices, and a built-In Ethernet node gateway which when using one of the Ethernet control protocols allows the assignment of any of the six outputs (or the DMX output) to one of two virtual DMX512 universes.

The PDS-375 TRX can also reconfigure Philps Color Kinetics LED fixtures remotely via RDM control of Zapi features. To learn more about the brand new PDS-375 TRX power/data supply, visit City Theatrical’s website at www.citytheatrical.com and click on What’s New on the top left.

City Theatrical Announces PDS-750 TRX Power/Date Supply for CK LED Fixtures


City Theatrical is up to it again, making all kinds of crazy awesome wireless products. The latest one is the PDS-750 TRX Power/Data Supply for Color Kinetics LED fixtures.  Not only does the PDS-750 offer Streaming ACN, Art-Net and KI Net protocols, but also wireless DMX via their popular SHoW DMX.  To make the PDS even more functional, City Theatrical has included fully RDM reatures to the box.

The PDS-750 TRX provides full control capability for the new Philips Color Kinetics ColorBlast 12 TRX, as well as 16 bit and 8 bit ColorBlast 12 TRs, iW Blast 12s, and conventional 8 bit ColorBlast 12s, ColorBlast 6s, ColorSplash 2s, and other CKDMX fixtures, and it can control any mix of these fixtures without wasted DMX Slots.

The PDS-750 TRX units come with a rugged NEMA 1 steel and aluminum enclosure. It’s rack-mount ears can double as pipe mount hangers.

It features multiple data I/O ports, including E1.11/1.20 (DMX/RDM) via XLR 5P, E1.31/1.33 (Streaming ACN) via etherCON, Art-Net via etherCON and wireless SHoW DMX standard on each unit. It also features an Ethernet pass-thru—E1.31/1.33 gateway via XLR 5P when E1.11/1.20 not in use, Art-Net gateway via XLR 5P when E1.11/1.20 not in use.

For more information on the PDS-750 TRX, head over to www.citytheatrical.com or www.colorkinetics.com.

Tips for Applying for an Internship

My favorite time of year is fast approaching here in Washington, DC, the time where hordes of high school and college students descend upon Washington as interns.  I have meet some interesting people over the years that were interns.  Heck, even my wife was an intern! So on with it…

Are you looking for an internship in the Entertainment Technology Industry?  City Theatrical has put together some worth while information on how to land a great internship.  It’s a listing of five things you need to know. The list is great advice. As an add-on to number 4, do not be late.  I want to pass something on that I learn early on from of all places, Acting 101 about being on time.

To be 15 minute early is to be on time.

to be on time is to be late.

to be late is to be dead.

Just some helpful advice. ;)  Here are the five things you need to know about landing an internship from City Theatrical.

Thank CT!

City Theatrical Announces Vari-Lite VLX Accessories

City Theatrical just put out their March Newsletter with a bit of interesting news.  Looks like City Theatrical is starting to make accessories for Vari-Lite’s VLX LED moving Light. In the announcement of the Vari-Lite accessories, City details why and how they come up with lighting accessories for different types of lights.  A pretty interesting read.

So what are these new accessories for the VLX?  The first one, pictured to the left is City Theatricals, VLX Louver, Part number 2661.  The louver helps stop light leak out the front of the fixture and helps focus the light beam.

The other VLX accessory is the VLX Top Hat, part number 2660.  The top hat is pretty easy to understand what it does. The two new Vari-Lite accessories have not made it to City Theatrical’s web site yet, or a price posted either.

Visit City Theatrical’s web site at www.citytheatrical.com to sign up for their newsletter at the bottom of the home page.

Lightwright 5 Shipping September 1

Lightwright version 5It took some time, but here we go, John McKernon and City Theatrical are set to release Lightwright Version 5 on September 1!

There is a whole slew of new functions and layout changes in the new version. To learn all about the changes, be sure to visit www.mckernon.com.  To purchase your copy of Lightwright, contact City Theatrical, the US distributor of the software.

Update: Lightwright 5 Right Around the Corner

Lightwright version 5We just received a note from City Theatrical, the US distributor of Lightwright, that version 5 release is right around the corner. The software update was announced around the time of LDI 2008 and has been in beta testing since then.  There have been some major upgrades to the software that have been sought after for a while in the program.

The update is expected to start to shipping mid may.  Click though to City Theatricals website with more information, feature listing and some nice looking screen shots of the update.  We have not heard a definitive answer on pricing yet, but the current retail price for the full version is $449.95 and $184.50 for the upgrade from a previous version.

City Theatrical Offers ETL Outdoor Enclosures

somerset1.gifIf you have ever worked an outdoor event, you understand the need for weather proof enclosures on some of those more expensive piece of equipment.

City Theatrical has you covered, literally! They just launched a new series of Outdoor Use Enclosures in the new 7400 series. There are three ratings avilable, NEMA 3R, NEMA 4 and NEMA 4X, all with an IP66 rating. These new enclousures will be ETL Listed to UL STD 508A under City Theatrical’s ETL shop Listing.

These custom enclosures may be manufactured in steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, and may be powder coated in a range of durable and attractive colors. They may be custom ordered in virtually any size and configuration.

To read more about the New City Theatrical Outdoor Enclosures, visit their website at www.citytheatrical.com.

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