The Barco I-12 is configured into four screens. Unusually, the two side screens, which are always used for IMAG, are also constructed from the same LED source - in a 10-wide/8-deep combination. Onstage there's a 10-wide by 12-deep curved portrait screen downstage right, and a smaller 24-tile portrait screen upstage left.
This video unites the two side screens with the onstage screens in a wide-vision stage setting. The video design and stage set was conceived by Production North's Steve Levitt and the band. "One of the beauties of the new 12mm pixel pitch SMD screen is it's incredible clarity," explains Robinson. Standing down the arena, it's almost impossible to tell it from soft screen projection. Each screen has its own Barco D320 processor and digital feed, and each individual pixel has its own RGB elements, creating the intensity and crispness. The I12 tiles are packaged in lightweight custom-built frames designed by XL's Kristof Soreyn. These enable screens to be rigged quickly and efficiently - a necessity for touring video.
XL has also recently replaced its GV4000/12000 consoles with new GV Zodiac and Kayak consoles, which offer full touch-screen control and more onboard facilities including a DVE section. Robinson is controlling the IMAG footage and playback using the Zodiac's two buses - the main bus is utilized for the live mix and the ME bus for the pre-recorded clips. The two buses are run linked when he puts IMAG across all four screens.
Pre-recorded video footage, produced by The Field, is used in all but two songs, primarily on the two onstage screens - a mix of abstract patterns, graphics and literal narrative footage. This is stored on a new Grass Valley M-Series hard drive, a quantity of which XL has purchased along with the Zodiac consoles.
(Lee Baldock)
