Road Test: Strong Technobeam, page 40 - PLSN.com

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NEWS
PROJECTION LIGHTS & STAGING NEWS
He Hired an LD, but Joe Nichols is Still Watching His Pennies
Keith Hoagland of CK Productions joined Joe Nichols on tour
NASHVILLE – Fresh off the release of
his new album Real Things, country superstar
Joe Nichols rang in 2008 with a
national tour, which included a performance
at Super Bowl XLII’s Super Jam
event. With his show becoming a more
elaborate production, the Grammynominated
artist is now traveling with
his own lighting ensemble and LD for
the first time. The LD is Keith Hoagland
of Nashville-based CK Productions.
When putting together Nichols’ light
show, Hoagland sought products that
would provide the creative effects he
needed. But he was also mindful of his
client’s budget. “Obviously, when you
add the expense of an LD and lighting
gear, the tour’s overhead goes up,” said
Hoagland, whose most recent tours included
Wynonna Judd and LeAnn Rimes.
“So we were looking for a way to hold
costs within reason.”
Hoagland found the budget-friendly
gear he was looking for in the Design
Spot series of intelligent moving-head
hybrid spot/wash fixtures from Elation
Professional. He selected six 575-watt
Design Spot 575E units and six 250-watt
Design Spot 250s to form the nucleus of
Nichols’ light show. The fixtures were
obtained on a rental basis from Keylight,
LLC, also located in the Nashville area.
The 575s are being used as overhead
lights, spread out evenly above the
stage, while the 250s are positioned on
the band risers behind the stage. “The
Design Spots are the core of my show,
with other lighting based on whatever
the promoter provides — PAR cans and
such. I’ll just soft patch the PAR cans
around it,” said Hoagland. “That way,
Joe sees pretty much the same show
every day. With Elation, the cost was so
reasonable, we were able to put up 12
lights for a rental fee that other vendors
couldn’t touch.”
Along with affordability, the Elation
Design Spots are versatile enough to
function as both a spot and wash, thanks
to a variable frost filter. Hoagland also
found that the Design Spot 250 and Design
Spot 575E were loaded with colors,
glass and metal gobos and other functions.
They allow for gobo morphing, for
example, and for an iris, strobing, and
a prism effect. The 575 also offers full
CMY color mixing and an effect wheel,
letting users create dynamic vertical effects
such as moving flames and water.
“As a designer I look for two basic
things: color mixing and rotating gobos,”
said Hoagland. “I love the color mixing
on the 575 — I haven’t had an issue with
any of the colors that I like to use. And
I’m really pleased with the variety of
gobos that Elation has put in. There are
some nice glass gobos and a multi-color
dichroic gobo. I’m using their stock gobos,
and the variety lets me be creative
without having to repeat.”
Hoagland also found some surprise
“bonus” features. “I didn’t even know
there was an effect wheel. When I saw
it I was like, ‘Oh my gosh — this is amazing!’”
Speed was another factor that
impressed Hoagland. Both the Design
Spot 250 and Design Spot 575E are capable
of a maximum pan of 630° in 2
seconds and maximum tilt of 265° in 1.5
seconds.
The units’ durability and reliable
performance has been another plus,
according to Hoagland. He spent four
days programming them at the outset,
during which time the lights were never
turned off. “I was putting in 10-hour
days and I knew I’d be back in the morning,
so why shut them off? I left them
on four days straight, and there were no
problems.” After several weeks into the
tour, Hoagland said, “not one of the 12
fixtures has given me a single hiccup.”
Hoagland plans to add more Elation
fixtures in the near future. “Joe’s words
to me were that as the show grows, we’ll
add more lights. My immediate goal is
to bring in six more Design Spot 575s
for bottom lighting.”
12
PLSN MARCH 2008