The full installation consists of 32 Compulite CompuDIM 2000 modular dimmer cabinets plus an additional mobile, flightcased system used on the studio floor and elsewhere in the building. An impressive total of 726 x 20A (5kW) dimmers and 20 x 40A (10kW) dimmers has been supplied and installed, split between Fountain's two large studios. The combination of reliability, performance, ease of control and monitoring made the Compulite range the ideal solution for Fountain.
The 5kW dimmers are all fitted with Hard Power Bypass switches so the dimmer output can be quickly switched from dimmed mains to hard mains for powering moving lights. The dimmers are controlled from the studio's existing Galaxy lighting consoles via Compulite D54 to DMX converters. They can also be controlled via Ethernet, with four Ethernet nodes provided by Stagetec, so incoming desks can easily be connected to the system from anywhere in the studios.
The entire dimmer system is monitored and configured via Compulite's Dimmer Monitor Software (DMS). This enables all dimmer functions to be quickly and easily programmed, and also for different configurations to be saved, so when the same show returns repeatedly, the dimmer settings can be re-configured in seconds. The DMS monitors all dimmer functions and provides instant feedback if any dimmer is over temperature, over current, faulty or the circuit breaker has tripped.
Fountain has a unique layout, with two massive studios separated by a serious acoustic wall. When the wall is raised, Fountain has the largest independent TV studio in the country. Combined use of the DMS software package and Ethernet system enables the new dimmers to be re-configured almost instantly between two formats, one featuring two stand-alone studios with separate consoles, and the other as one large studio all controlled from a single console.
Stagetec also supplied a Compulite SparkTOP control system as part of the package. This adds moving light control to the studio's existing control facilities, and due to it's compact size and portability, can be set up anywhere in the building to provide additional lighting control. The second stage of the project was completed within an extremely tight two week time period, with engineers working on site around the clock.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
