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Coldplay Powered by PRG's Series 400 System
Coldplay's Twisted Logic World Tour is about power — the musical power of the band, the visual power of the lighting design and the technological power from PRG's new Series 400 power and data distribution system (patent pending.) This configurable, multi-component system provides power and Ethernet or DMX data for up to 72 1.2KW automated luminaires or other devices using a combination of breaker modules in a rolling rack unit, breakout boxes and high performance trunk cable.
The lighting design, created by Bryan Leitch, includes a variety of automated lighting gear powered by the Series 400 system, including 27 VL 3000 spot luminaires, six VL 3000 wash luminaires, six VL 1000 arc luminaires, 36 SGM Giotto Spot 400 CMY's, four Studio Due CS4 Automated ACL bars and three Studio Due 6k Dominators. The Series 400 system is also powering 18 Atomic Strobes, three Robert Juliat Heloise truss spots, four F100 foggers, four DF50 hazers, three Reel Efx fans, three truss fans, and, last but not least, two Avo Diamond 4 consoles at front of house.
The design also makes ample use of 15 pantographs and three Mole Richardson Fresnels. It's a complex and unique design that complements and accentuates Coldplay's music. The PRG Series 400 system is naturally an integral part of the picture. "The Series 400 system makes setup move really quickly," notes lighting director Nick Whitehouse. "It's a complicated lighting design with a lot of sub trusses, and with the Series 400 system, we just run one cable to each place. The lights can go anywhere —in the bushes, in the bleachers — and PRG Series 400 system makes it work."
The Series 400 system safely and efficiently integrates power, DMX and Ethernet data in a single copper based trunk cable that gives users the ability to move Ethernet signals 500 feet, a 40% increase over current Ethernet standards. The rolling rack unit typically has six 12-channel breaker modules that include either 120v or 208v outputs. Each trunk cable and breakout box supplies power and data to six devices, and provides two DMX and two Ethernet outputs. The FOH breakout boxes are used for the main console and a backup. Each FOH breakout box can accept up to 10 DMX universes and 2 100 Base-T Ethernet streams. Additionally, any DMX universe on the system can be routed to any DMX output using simple pushbuttons and the display in each breaker module. The result is a system that gives users incredible flexibility for patching data to any device in the system.
DMX is an integral part of any lighting system, and for Coldplay, it's no different. "We're running eight very full universes of DMX and the Series 400 system has greatly simplified the data management of the whole rig. We have no opto-splitters and our longest DMX cable is only 25' anywhere in the rig," Coldplay's lead lighting technician Chris Conti confides. Less cable equals less time, a fact that Conti sees every day.
"With the PRG Series 400 system, load-in and load-out are moving quickly and very smoothly. We start load-in at 8, and we're usually done by 12:30, and we're loading out in only two hours," Conti adds. "Overall, the Series 400 system speeds up our in and out times because there's less cable and cable connections."
Safety is also automatically built into the PRG Series 400 system. Power is not provided to the breakout boxes until all the connections are made correctly. "The Series 400 system is an extremely safe system. If a 208v trunk cable was accidentally plugged into a 120v breakout box, nothing would be energized due to the safety contactors built into the system," explains Conti.
The Series 400 system not only shines on the road, it was also an integral part of preproduction for Coldplay. "When the lighting plot changed during prep, I did a lot less paperwork to figure out how to get the power and data where I needed it. The Series 400 system significantly cut down on the time I needed to lay out the show, and it made it easier for me to put the data wherever I needed it, so it's not a big deal to move things around," Conti concludes.
The PRG Series 400 system is being designed for worldwide markets as well. "In the next couple of months we will produce prototypes of the European and Japanese models of the system and move on with compliance for CE and Japan. The customers in Japan are especially eager to get systems as they always have power problems as the grid voltage is low," notes PRG engineering manager Jim Bornhorst.
Currently, the Series 400 system is available in North America through PRG; further technical specifications can be found online at http://www.prg.com. The versatility of the Series 400 System enables it to be used for corporate tradeshows, meetings, special events, theatre, TV and film. As for the system's outing with Coldplay, Conti has nothing but good things to say about it: "The PRG Series 400 power and data distribution system is a great touring product and I'd absolutely recommend it to another crew without hesitation."
30th September 2005
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