"The Streamer is totally different than any other special effects light out there," said Scott Davies, general manager of the American DJ Group of Companies. "With its fiber-like beams, it's a truly unique visual phenomenon. Plus, it offers so many other features - from DMX control to LED technology to custom color mixing - that its applications are virtually limitless."
Markey first used fiber optic technology on a much more basic fixture called the Mirrorlight, powered simply by a small halogen light bulb. Dubbed the "modern mirrorball," the Mirrorlight quickly found a following among DJs, nightclubs and discos across Australia, the company says.
But its inventor saw even larger, more global possibilities. With assistance from the Australian International Trade Office (Austrade), Markey conducted a search for a partner who could help develop his creation into an automated DMX fixture with advanced features that would be suitable for larger clubs, concert halls, special events and architectural applications.
During the course of the Austrade-sponsored search, lighting manufacturers from around the world were interviewed, one of which American DJ. "I liked the whole team at American DJ and their vision for the product," commented Markey. The thing that really cinched it, said Markey, was positive feedback from American DJ's customers. "I interviewed a number of each manufacturer's customers to get their view of the company. American DJ was a standout!"
As Markey had envisioned, American DJ's design team gave the Streamer full DMX control, along with RGB color mixing, putting the ability to create an infinite spectrum of colours at the user's fingertips. LEDs were added, said Davies, because designers felt the Streamer would be used as a centerpiece effect. "We knew it would probably be run all night, so we wanted to provide the long life and low power consumption of LEDs."
The Streamer will be officially introduced at the 2005 LDI Show in Orlando, Florida (11-13 November).
(Lee Baldock)
