Each year Country Arts SA tours national and international productions that entertain, challenge and stimulate a wide variety of audiences in their five performing arts centres in Mount Gambier, Port Pirie, Renmark, Noarlunga and Whyalla.
Recently the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre in Mount Gambier became home to a new ETC Ion 1000 lighting console which will enable them to provide fully integrated control of conventional and moving lights.
"We've always had a relationship with Jands equipment and systems so when the existing lighting console at Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre expired, the choice was simple," said Ray Ellison, Country Arts SA infrastructure manager. "In selecting the ETC Ion 1000 we considered what consoles were being toured by professional artists and the case for software application based solutions.
"The ETC Ion was a console frequently toured into our venues so we were familiar with its functionality and assured of its acceptance by our clients. We felt a purpose built console over a software solution offered superior reliability and better hardware construction. With capacity to control both moving lights and smart LED luminaries using device-based profiles, the Ion1000 is pretty future proof. We will be looking at updating our other four regional theatres with the ETC ION 1000 in the near future."
Fay Cakebread, technical manager at the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre, comments that the ETC Ion 1000 is a particularly easy console to navigate and she has enjoyed getting to know it.
"It's really quite self-explanatory however Jands supplied us with some great training," she said. "As you use it, the Ion 1000 reveals its capabilities such as the powerful effects package, marking and timing functions."
Board operator Karen Kennedy (pictured) had quite a steep learning curve migrating from the old Jands ESP console to the ETC Ion 1000 but now she has adjusted to the new console, she describes it as a lovely console to run.
"It's so comprehensive, each time I use it I learn something new," she commented. "We only have conventional lights in our own rig so I am limited in the features that I use however I'm trying to make the most of my submasters. If I ever have a query I find that the online forum always gives me the answer."
(Jim Evans)
