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ETC's Eos is Star of the Show as Dealers Upgrade Rental Stocks
Two ETC UK dealers are about to take delivery of Eos and Ion lighting control systems to add to their rental stocks. Stage Electrics and White Light will join London Light Production Services who already have an Eos system for hire. ETC's most award-winning control system, Eos uses a syntax familiar to many devoted ETC console users. And Ion is ETC's latest desk, the smaller sibling to Eos.
Adrian Searle, head of technical and hire at Stage Electrics, says: "We deliberated for some time as to what would be the most requested desk in the future. After evaluating the entire market and asking many of our current customers, we decided that Eos and Ion are closest to what users would expect, and would be more comfortable working on. We were looking for a system which would handle moving lights but using a theatre interface."
Hire and technical director at White Light, Dave Isherwood, adds: "We've been following the development of the Eos range with great interest, and feel that it's now at the point where we should add it to our inventory of control systems. As a complete system - Eos, Ion, the network nodes and off-line editors - it is very attractive, with Ion ensuring that the benefits of Eos' advanced features are as accessible to our customers with smaller budgets as those working on larger shows."
One of Stage Electrics' first Eos rentals is set to be Zorro at the Garrick Theatre. Programmer Andi Davis says: "The touring production that opened earlier this year was on a different desk - for the transfer to the West End we decided it was time for an upgrade to the next generation. Rigs are using more and more moving lights, and this is particularly true of Zorro, where the fully automated rig allows us to make maximum use of grid space that is severely constrained by scenery and performer flying. Eos was developed from the ground up for rigs that include large quantities of moving lights and was conceived for large-scale projects - so is an ideal choice for us. I've talked extensively with Eos product manager Anne Valentino about the future development of the desk - and ETC even loaned me a desk to work with! The support I've had from the company has been fabulous."
This is Eos's first outing on a major commercial musical in the West End, so, says Andi, is "a mile-stone - breaking into a new market. Large-scale West End musicals don't tend to buy kit, they rent. So for Eos to be viable as a choice for commercial-sector programmers like myself, it has to be stocked by the major hire companies - otherwise I can't spec it on a show!"
ETC's regional manager for UK and Ireland, Mark White, comments: "As a generation of lighting control systems reaches the end of its supportable life, theatre lighting designers and programmers are looking around for replacements. Eos and Ion are perfectly positioned, given they were designed specifically as fully integrated systems to address the needs of modern lighting control. And while the hardware may be constant, the software is constantly evolving, with free updates regularly posted to the ETC website.
"Eos sales have been excellent, with such venues as the National Theatre (maintained by White Light), Young Vic and the Rose Theatre, Kingston (both supplied by Stage Electrics) installing systems. With rental houses now stocking both Eos and Ion, an increasing number of shows will be able to use them without having to buy."
16th June 2008
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