The console and the eDMX was specified by the National's Chief LX Huw Llewellyn and is an integral part of the National's architectural installation, phase one of which is currently underway.
"Avolites eDMX is brilliant! It's given us the flexibility we needed to place lighting fixtures anywhere" says Llewellyn, adding that the National's vast complex yields a plethora of roofs, balconies, walkways and other vantage points on which to place lights. Using eDMX also means they can position the desk wherever they like.
Additionally, it saves them running miles and miles of cables - and so is far more cost-effective in both time and money than the cabled option would have been. Currently, the installation consists of five Griven 700W dichroic floods, six Studio Due City Colors 2.5Ks, five Irideon AR500s and one V*L3000 for gobo projection onto the Lyttelton fly tower. The flytower is the hub of the present installation - it's 22m height and 27m width now appearing at night as a huge block of colour with overlaid projection.
The lighting scheme has been very well received so far, and it is intended to expand it over the next 2 - 3 years. However all lighting fixtures are packed away during the day as the National is a listed building and none can be in sight! The Diamond 4 comes into its own each night during set up, tweaking all the preset focus positions, and for quick and easy programming of new lighting cues and looks.
Llewellyn explains that they chose the Avo D4 after using their Pearl extensively for the 10 week 2004 outdoor summer season, featuring over 100 different events and performances. The console was hugely popular, especially for it's 'buskability' which was needed on numerous occasions due to the nature of the shows. The National decided to upgrade at the end of the season, and it was logical to go for the extra power and capacity of the D4 for the future.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
