Well, no - and the clue to why lay in the neat little Sanyo video projector (700 lumens yet barely bigger than a desk diary) tucked neatly in amongst the lighting gear. "This is to witness the birth of a new AV control," Andy Blackwell of Dial Sound and Lighting confided.
None-the-wiser, we settled in as the presentation began; music played and lights began to dance in harmony. We are informed that all the elements of light and sound were being controlled by a single piece of software. Nothing revolutionary there, but then the screen rolled sedately down from the trussing. It wasn’t so much the projected images, though they were pin sharp, nor the Panasonic demo DVD’s recourse to seventies footage of well endowed ‘chicks’ or action sequences, it was what was added. The soundtrack was overlaid by perfectly synchronised music, and the overlay could be turned on and off like a tap. Then, during the famous bungy jump from Golden Eye, the video itself was augmented, colour being added to its periphery, and lighting subtly introduced to the surroundings. What was striking was the effortlessness with which it was all achieved. "That’s the point," said Blackwell. "Some people look at this and their initial reaction is ‘it looks a bit Fisher Price’. I say ‘great’ and ‘why not?’. It is child’s play to use, and why shouldn’t it be?"
The ‘it’ of Blackwell’s adulation is ShowMagic, or rather ShowMagic AV (video control straight off the hard disk), and yes, it is very easy to use. Kevin Caldwell of Ace Visual & Sound Systems who developed ShowMagic has added so much facility to this control software that there’s virtually nothing it can’t do. John Kopelciw of SpaceKraft, an organisation which provides interactive learning tools for children with Special Needs, saw it as perfect. "One of the most important criteria about aids for children coping with difficulties like autism is timing. They need instant results. Now we can pluck a range of responses straight off the equipment in real-time, from a single controller."
While some at the top end of the Pro’ market might find that a slight overstatement, there’s no escaping the fact that for an installer, ShowMagic AV has several attractions. It is extremely competitively priced; and for the busy facility manager in a club or themed bar, the ability to control every aspect of a house system from a single device means a reduced learning curve and potentially much more sophisticated delivery. Blackwell was in no doubt: "I’ve been waiting over 10 years for something like this to come along. It’s very clever and it does exactly what you programme, every time, at the touch of a button."
Steve Moles
