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Jersey Opera House Chooses MA Lighting
A new grandMA2 light console has been installed at Jersey Opera House, specified by technical manager Simon Francklin. Francklin has been at the venue for two-and-a-half years, and has been an MA user and advocate for at least the last eight years, since grandMA Series 1 was released in the UK.
When he accepted the post in Jersey, a technical modernisation programme was already in the offing, and naturally, he wanted something modern and cool on the control front - to replace the existing system that had been in place since 2000.
"My ethos for the entire technical upgrade - encompassing sound, lighting and stage - was to get a future-proof system in place - something with a lifespan of at least 10 years," Simon said.
The console was supplied by Stage Electrics. Francklin had been keen to wait for the grandMA2 to come online before making the final purchasing decision. He discussed the matter thoroughly with Andy Elsegood from Stage Electrics and they came to the conclusion that grandMA2 was the ideal desk, and Stage Electrics was able to offer an excellent deal.
Francklin also discussed the matter thoroughly with his team at the Opera House, and all concurred that MA was the route to take. They all received some thorough on-site training from the MA UK team once the deal was completed and the console delivered.
The theatre - which has been an integral element of cultural life on the island since it opened in 1865 - currently has a large generic lighting rig consisting of PARs and ETC, Strand and Selecon luminaires, along with Martin moving lights and 20 Chroma-Q scrollers. There is also a selection of smoke and haze machines, all run via the grandMA2 light.
Jersey Opera House has a busy schedule of shows, including regular local productions - opera, ballet and large scale musicals - together with a 12 week bumper summer season offering comedy, cabaret, live music and many other performance genres. To deal with the wide range of entertainment, the lighting and control needed to be as flexible as possible to ensure that each show can have its own unique and individual lighting technique.
"The grandMA2 light offers all the options we need," says Francklin. "The programming of moving lights is incredibly simple once the desk is set up - and even those with basic knowledge can easily get their heads around it and start learning." He adds that it's "versatile and easy to use" for anything from a rock 'n' roll show needing plenty of busking and WOW factors to an intricate drama, needing precision cueing.
The grandMA2 also enables operators to switch operating styles "on the fly" and to customise the console as they wish. On top of that, they have already benefited from fabulous extras like grandMA 3D, the free visualisation software. MA's grandMA onPC software gives them a free tracking back up for the console - not that this is ever needed due to the rock solid reliability of the MA platform!
In picture: Simon Francklin, Chris Wink and David Grierson.
21st October 2009
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