What are light solutions? Ever wondered how concerts or stage plays have such precise and beautiful lighting? It may just be lights, but the technology, effort and creativity put into lighting can transform an event. From large scale events and conferences to small meetings, event lighting is a fundamental element to the success of the event. Light solutions can provide the right lighting and setting, enabling you to portray your desired message. Furthermore it can influence guests into the sort of mind-set or mood for your event’s purpose.

Aspects of Light Solutions

Light Solutions: Colors & Intensity

Colors and intensity is an integral part of light solutions.

Intensity is measured in lux, lumens and foot candles. The intensity of a luminaire (lighting instrument or fixture) depends on a number of factors including its lamp power, the design of the instrument (and its efficiency), optical obstructions such as colour gels or mechanical filters, the distance to the area to be lit and the beam or field angle of the fixture, the colour and material to be lit, and the relative contrasts to other regions of illumination.

Color temperature is measured in kelvins. A light’s apparent colour is determined by its lamp colour, the colour of any gels in the optical path, its power level, and the colour of the material it lights.

Light Solution Type & Methodology

Intelligent Lighting

Intelligent lighting is a type of light solution technology used. It is a term used for an innovative type of lighting usually for parties or stage lights. The automated mechanism behind this system allows light to move around and create complex and visually pleasing effects. Intelligent lighting can create lighting arrangements of your desired colour or pattern to match themes for your target audiences. This type of lighting is widely used in theatricals and spotlights during events to focus the audience’s attention on a particular sight. Moving heads and scanners are the most up-to-date technology in the intelligent lighting spectrum. In today’s market, intelligent lighting is manufactured with LED technology.

Moving Heads

A moving head has the ability to change colours and patterns. It has a wide range of mobility, providing circular/pan/tilt options. The newer moving heads can rotate anywhere between 360 to 180 degrees.

Scanners

Scanners also have the ability to change colours and patterns but unlike moving heads, they have limited mobility of its head. Instead, it features a moving mirror that gives the fixture the ability to project patterns and colours throughout the room. Despite its limitations, scanners are still widely popular as they are generally faster moving compared to moving heads.

LED

Light Emitting Diode is a new technology that is rapidly being adapted commercially as a replacement for a traditional bulb. This technology ensures that there is lesser cool down time and also smaller energy draw.

Up Lighting

This is a technique where lights are placed on the ground and aimed upwards to project light onto a medium. It is a good method of highlighting or diverting the attention of the audience towards the desired target. It can also be used to generate a wash of colour over an area which can be put to a number of decorative or creative uses.

Gobo Lighting

A gobo is a type of stencil that gets placed over a light source. The light passes through the Gobo and the stencilled image is projected onto the medium. Common uses include things like projecting a company logo or a bride-and-groom monograph, but they can also be used to craft enchanting scenes and images.

Outdoor Lighting

If your event can be held outdoors, several extra lighting options will become available. Paper lanterns can be strung to evoke a dreamlike aura while maintaining a light and fun mood, while string or bistro lights can be used to draft a canopy over a dance floor or dining area. You could also go with traditional approaches like candle-lined pathways or even Christmas lights.

Spot Lighting

Spotlighting is when the light is focused on a single point and is usually used to focus on a specific object or person. This is a similar use to up lighting, but the difference is that spotlighting doesn’t need to come from below. This can most commonly be seen in stage lighting, where spotlights are commonly used to highlight speakers, objects, or performers.

Light Solutions PC Integration

A lighting control system is an intelligent network-based lighting control solution that incorporates communication between various system inputs and outputs related to lighting control with the use of one or more central computing devices. With the most beautiful ecstatic, it is also important to integrate an intelligent network in light solutions. Below, we will explain exactly how or what connections can be used in light solutions.

Connection

DMX

DMX is a lighting control protocol which allows users to have ultimate control over their lighting needs. Although it does not only apply to lighting, lighting is the most common use for DMX.

DMX originated as a way to set the bar for lighting manufacturers to build fixtures that would all be compatible with each other, instead of having individual control stations for each set of lighting. This gave the Audio Visual industry a huge break because it allowed them to control everything from one single source giving them more freedom and flexibility when it came to creating lighting shows. DMX requires different components to work. First off, you need a source to create DMX. This can be achieved by a computer interface that converts USB to DMX using DMX software, which will allow you to set infinite pre-sets, and give you full control all with the click of a mouse.

There’s also the more traditional way to generate DMX through a DMX Console. This was one of the first ways that DMX originated. DMX consoles are a bit more limited than software because you have to manually trigger everything, and depending on the capability of the Console, performance may vary. Once you have your DMX signal origin, you will then need DMX fixtures.

There are all sorts of lighting fixtures that operate with DMX. After you have your entire fixtures daisy chained, or interlinked with each other, you must address them. Addressing fixtures will give them a start DMX channel which means that’s where the signal will be sent for that individual fixture. Each fixture will require a number of channels to work, so depending on the number of channels a fixture has, you will then address the rest of the fixtures on the next available channel after giving the previous fixture room to operate.

DMX512 is a type of electric signal data protocol used in the lighting industry on stage or in residential setups to control a series of light fixtures, LEDs, and other devices. This DMX512 protocol is in compliance with the standard set by the ESTA (Entertainment Services Technology Association). In January 2011 the ESTA merged with PLASA, a similar organization from the UK. and formed a new alliance called PLASA.

The fixtures are usually interlinked with each other using DMX cables, Usually 3 or 5-pin XLR. This technique is known as the daisy chain. Having a daisy-chained DMX line allows the user to control each light fixture independently from the others with different settings, working together.
Controller

DMX control is usually achieved with a DMX console, similar to an audio board, or with DMX software on which a show can be recorded and scenes can be built and edited. This software is connected to a DMX USB interface that converts USB output to DMX output.

There is also the possibility to set up an Ethernet network that controls DMX by using an Ethernet over DMX interface. This type of setup is used for iPad DMX apps which wirelessly control a DMX line. DMX computer software similar to that of the USB to DMX Interfaces can also be used with DMX over Ethernet interfaces to eliminate the cable that goes from the interface to the first DMX fixture by sending DMX signals through the air via WIFI. There are different DMX over Ethernet protocols such as ArtNet, PathPort, ShowNet, ACN and ETC Net2, Just to name a few. Either of these protocols can be used depending on what the application calls for.

DMX protocol is divided into what is called Universes. A standard DMX universe consists of 512 channels. Most lighting fixtures, DMX LED drivers and so on are addressable. They have a series of Dip switches which have an on or off position. The switches are numbered 1-10 which are then selected either on or off in a binary code fashion to reach the desired addresses. Other fixtures may also have digital displays which makes addressing a lot easier since addressing is done by navigating through the available channels like you would on a TV, clicking up or down on the channel selection.

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Check out this quick guide on the fundamentals of DMX lighting.

Manufacturers

DTS Lighting

Synergy 5

The unit employs a 420 W pure white LED source (7000K 16,500 Lumens output), coupled with a long excursion 4.6° – 43° motorized linear zoom with autofocus. This carefully studied match delivers a massive 49,900 Lux luminosity (4.6° @ 5 m) with an evenly diffused and flat beam.

Artemio

The unit is equipped with a single high-power 25 W white LED source. The unit is powered by DRIVENET 416, 832 or 1664 power supplies/controllers, or by DRIVENET 28C DIN

Portfolio Led 200

The unit is equipped with a high-efficiency 200 W White 3200 K LED source. PROFILO LED 200 is suitable for medium to large TV studios and theatres and it is a powerful and versatile alternative to conventional lights.

Brick

BRICK comes with an IP65 power cable plus 2 DMX cables with M / F XLR connectors (all IP65), which make it perfect for temporary lighting applications, but also for safe long-lasting installations.

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