ADB's New Stars for TV Lighting ADB's New Stars for TV Lighting

Lighting Technologies 

INSIGHT 

ADB’s New 

Stars for 

TV Lighting 

NEW IN THIS EDITION 

ALC4 LED Cyclorama Light 

Motorised Hoists 

Motorised Telescope 

EURODIM Twin Tech 

MENTOR/XT Console 

DOMINO/XT Console 

PLUS 

WARP Spotlight Series 

TELEVISION LIGHTING SPECIAL EDITION


CONTENTS 

ALC4 LED Cyclorama Light 3 

INSIGHT 

ADB’s New Stars 

for TV Lighting 

Motorised Hoists 4 

Motorised Telescope 4 

EURODIM Twin Tech Dimmer 5 

MENTOR/XT Console 6 

DOMINO/XT Console 7 

Photo feature: TF-1 Studio 8-9 

Softlux Cool Lights 10 

TV Spotlights 11 

Photo feature: Svoboda 12-13 

Photo feature: WARP Profiles 14 

New York Metropolitan Opera 15 

Genexis Theatre at Fusionopolis 15 

PWS/DWS 

SERIES 

MOTORISED 

HOISTS 

MENTOR/XT 

DOMINO/XT 

TDM-1 

MOTORISED 

TELESCOPE 

EURODIM 

TWIN TECH 

DIMMER 

ALC4 LED 

RGB+W 

CYCLORAMA 

LIGHT 

ADB Lighting unveils in 

this issue several new key 

products for studio lighting, 

along with a host of recent 

successes. 

Heading the list is the 

new ALC4 LED Cyclorama 

fixture, the first of its kind 

in the world (see opposite 

page). 

ADB Lighting’s range of 

motorised studio suspensions 

is now expanded to 

four, with the new PWS-1, 

the PWS-2 and DWS-3 

motorised studio hoists 

and a new TDM-1 motorised 

telescope. 

State-of-the-art sine 

wave dimming is also now 

making its entry, in ADB’s 

new EURODIM Twin Tech 

dimmer. 

All these products can be 

controlled by ADB’s latest 

control desks, the compact 

DOMINO/XT and largeformat 

MENTOR/XT. 

And to complete 

the picture, some of 

ADB’s most successful 

lighting products, including 

the silent-running WARP/M 

Motorised Profiles – see 

pages 14-15. 

Alongside these are several 

ADB ‘classics’, still very much 

in demand in television, 

including TV Fresnels, 

AC Cyclorama Lights and 

SOFTLUX fluo cool lights. 

TELEVISION LIGHTING SPECIAL EDITION

Lighting Technologies INSIGHT 

ALC4 LED CYCLORAMA brings new dimension to 

TV and theatre cyclorama lighting 

UNIQUE MODULAR CYCLORAMA FIXTURE WITH REVOLUTIONARY PHILIPS 

LEXEL LED CLUSTER OFFERS 1 MILLION COLOURS AND 7 WHITE PRESETS 

ADB Lighting Technologies’ first LED Cyclorama light, the 

modular ALC4, launched at IBC 2009, is the first Cyclorama 

fixture of its kind in the world for TV studios and theatres. 

Highly energy efficient, it employs four advanced 40W 

Philips Lexel RGB+White LED light sources, allowing one 

ALC4 to deliver the equivalent of 1250W of halogen power 

for an actual power consumption of just 160W. 

Capable of providing over 1 million shades of colour, 

including pure yellow and soft ambers, for extra ease of 

use the ALC4 provides seven user-selectable white light 

presets from 2700K to Daylight 6500K. 

The Lexel LED module is colour-tuneable (RGBW) and 

the light is mixed in a mixing chamber. This results in a 

perfectly homogeneous light output from the module, 

eliminating coloured shadows or separately visible colours. 

Furthermore, due to an internal feedback system, the 

module offers an extraordinary colour consistency. It will hit 

the exact colour desired – and stay there – at any time. The 

colour consistency between different units is particularly 

valuable when using several of them together. 

For maximum flexibility, the system can be controlled 

by DMX in different modes – in particular, in a colourtuneable 

RGB mode, or a white-tuneable CCT mode. 

In the CCT mode, the white colour temperature can be 

accurately controlled from 2700K to 6500K. The colour 

rendering index (CRI) is above 80. 

Both XLR-5 (DMX) and Powercon 220V in and through 

connectors are provided for easy daisy-chaining. The ALC4 

provides a smooth, flicker-free output with no colour or 

white changes when dimmed, allowing easy creation of 

both smooth background illumination or effects. 

A modular reinforced aluminium housing, in a corrosion 

free black powder-coated finish, accommodates a choice 

of three high brilliance aluminium reflector options, 

including the standard asymmetrical type, allowing the 

fixture to be used not only for cyclorama lighting but as fill 

lights and washes as well. The cool-running ALC4 can be 

floor mounted or hung. 

AT A GLANCE 

4 PHILIPS LEXEL 

RGB+W LED MODULES 

7 WHITE PRESETS 

FROM 2700-6500K 

1 MILLION COLOURS 

DMX512-A CONTROL 

03


SKY’S THE LIMIT ADB expands motorised 

suspensions and adds TDM-1 motorised telescope 

ADB Lighting Technologies’ range of self-climbing motorised studio suspensions expands 

to four, with the new PWS-1, PWS-2 and DWS-3 motorised studio hoists and a new TDM-1 

motorised telescope. 

The hoists offer a choice of pile or drum winding of suspension ropes, with standard 

overload/no-load protection, or for even more safety critical applications, ADB’s 

proprietary Intelligent Safety System (I.S.S.) and, as a bonus, a very competitive price. 

The PWS-1 with pile winding offers an economical solution for a wide range of studios 

of up to medium height, while the PWS-2 adds the I.S.S. for enhanced operational safety. 

The DWS-3 features a drum winding system, ideal for moving high and heavy loads with 

precision, and can be self climbing or grid mounted. 

NEW TDM-1 MOTORISED TELESCOPE 

The new TDM-1 motorised telescope, 

launched at IBC 2009, is based on ADB’s 

original proprietary telescopic tube concept 

and an innovative drum drive mechanism, 

ensuring perfect linearity of movement, 

speed and load capacity over the entire 

travel of the telescope. The performance 

is designed to match the accuracy and 

repeatability of modern motorised lights. 

It features a combined motor/gearbox and 

linear drum drive, with a frequency converter 

for integrated electronic soft start/stop, 

designed primarily for applications in TV 

studios whenever flexibility and individual 

control are the prime considerations. 

The telescope is equipped with spring 

loaded No-Load and Overload (slack wire) 

detection and safety allowing enhanced 

reliability in a TV studio. 

A unique set of 9 precision extruded 

aluminium tubes, with 4-side guiding 

for complete accuracy, allows a shorter 

retracted length at any studio height from 

8 to 14m. The double steel wire is guided 

and controlled over the entire length using 

a special drum-drive technology. Its benefits 

are linear movement, speed and load 

capacity over the entire vertical travel of 

the telescope suspension. 

For existing studios with a planetary or 

slotted grid, the TDM-1 can be fixed to an 

under-grid or over-grid trolley and repositioned 

from the studio floor, catwalks or 

walking grid area. 

Other main operating features include up 

to 12m travel; 60kg maximum load; linear 

travel speed of 9 metres per minute; high 

and lower position limit switches; overtravel 

limit switches; and instant stop on 

obstacles, slack wire or overload. 

Options include remote control with 

optional preset position memorisation; 

undergrid trolley for heavy duty track; 

overgrid motorised trolley. 

TDM-1 

Motorised 

Telescope 

www.adblighting.com • your partner for light 

04


FOUR DIMMER TYPES, ONE CABINET New 

EURODIM Twin Tech combines technologies 

NEW HYBRID THYRISTOR AND SINE WAVE DIMMER BRINGS THE ULTIMATE IN 

FLEXIBILITY AND INSTALLATION COST EFFECTIVENESS TO DIMMER TECHNOLOGY 

ADB Lighting Technologies unveils the full production 

version of its new flagship in dimming technology, 

EURODIM Twin Tech, at IBC 2009. 

EURODIM Twin Tech offers the best of all dimming 

technologies by allowing users to combine modules of 

different types and ratings within a single standardized 

cabinet. The installed module types are automatically 

detected via the in-built single (or optional dual) Controller 

unit. 

The EURODIM Twin Tech cabinet can be supplied up to the 

nominal power of 600A per phase. 128 channels of 3 kW or 

96 channels of 5kW dimmers can be accommodated in the 

32 dimmer modules spaces, with an individual 63A supply 

protection for optimum safety. Supply and load cables are 

installed in dedicated contractor compartments. 

A new Assisted Ventilation system with a clear, dedicated 

ventilation duct guarantees continuous, reliable operation 

with maximum safety and optimum cooling. The cabinet 

can be installed against a wall or other cabinets, with 

all service and installation elements accessible from the 

front. 

The thyristor dimmer modules are organized around 

4 x 3kW, 3 x 5kW and single 10kW units with standard 

200µsec or 400µsec filtering. For the most discerning 

clients requiring minimal acoustic noise, Sine Wave ‘Silent 

Dimming’ modules (4 x 2.5kW and 3 x 5kW) are available. 

When fluorescent dimming is required special thyristor 

modules are also available. All the different module types 

may be freely mixed in the same cabinet, providing an 

unprecendented operating flexibility. 

The brand new DimSwitch module, also being launched 

at IBC, is a unique dual capability 

thyristor module which can act 

both as a switch of normally nondimmable 

resistive, inductive and 

capacitive loads or as a normal 

dimmer with no minimum load 

required for the module to function 

correctly. DimSwitch reduces 

installation costs because fewer 

cables and outlets are required 

– for example, daylight fixtures 

with switched ballasts and 

standard halogen spotlights can 

be connected to the same outlet, 

one after the other. 

The new ADB Dimmer 

AT A GLANCE 

UP TO 600A PER PHASE 

SINE WAVE MODULE 

OPTION 

MIX DIMMER TYPES IN 

STANDARD CABINET 

32 DIMMER MODULE 

SPACES 

3kW, 5kW AND 10kW 

UNITS 

SAFE, RELIABLE COOLING 

SYSTEM 

Manager software detects the rating and type of the 

installed modules and reports to the operator the status of 

each module and channel, safeguarding against incorrect 

module combinations. 

The Dimmer Manager software will also report 

information on the general status of the dimmer modules 

as well as overall functions of the entire cabinet. 

The ACN-ready (ESTA) Controller Unit has two physical 

DMX512-A inputs plus three Art-DMX universes via Art- 

Net over a single Ethernet connector. 

With an optional Dual Backup Controller Unit, separate 

physical DMX A/B and Ethernet inputs per processing 

unit exist. The dual controller unit option can be client 

retrofitted without any alterations to the cabinet. 

05


MENTOR/XT 4-in-1 intelligent / generic controller 

with motion control and flexible submasters 

MENTOR/XT is a top end alternative to the successful 

MENTOR lighting control desk. 

The “4 desks in 1” concept has been very much 

enhanced with the addition of a state-of-the art motion 

control section and a flexible 48, 72 or 96-submaster 

capability. 

MENTOR/XT is an affordable, expandable alternative 

to the successful MENTOR lighting control desk. The 

original “4 desks in 1” concept has been greatly enhanced 

with the addition of a state-of-the-art motion control 

section and a flexible 48, 72 or 96-submaster capability. 

It is designed to exploit the abilities of both intelligent 

and generic lighting fixtures in a single compact, 

affordable desk with a new dedicated motion control 

section for controlling automated luminaires. 

As standard, the desk offers a choice of 512, 1024 

or 2048 instruments / channels and 48 on-board 

submasters with optional extensions to 72 or 96 

submasters via one or two plug-in modules and/or 

MENTOR extension wings. 

New Features: 

• 512 / 1024 / 2048 instruments / channels 

• 48 on-board submasters 

• Optional extensions to 72 or 96 submasters via 

M1 or 2 plug-in modules and/or MENTOR extension 

Mwings 

• Motion control section with a trackball and 4 

Mencoding wheels with displays 

• Up to 4 video outputs 

• 4th generation ISIS ® 2.45 software including cue 

Mlists for running up to 96 crossfades simultaneously 

... and Still 

• 2 Universes on XLR5 

• 8192 DMX addresses OUT (16 DMX universes) 

Mthrough Ethernet Network 

• LINUX operating system with ISIS® Software 

• Configurable user profiles 

• Manual preset style capability 

• Onboard touch screen + optional Wi-Fi/HF remote 

Mcontrol 

• All state-of-the-art Ethernet functions and 

Moperating features of the original MENTOR 

The enhanced performance level, flexibility and ease 

of use make MENTOR/XT the most rewarding choice 

for discerning users in theatre, television, musical and 

touring applications – hence the tag ‘4 desks in 1’. 

06


DOMINO/XT Compact, cost effective solution for 

all television studio and theatre lighting control 

NEW MEMORY LIGHTING CONTROL DESK OFFERS FLEXIBLE, INTUITIVE 

PERFORMANCE FOR TELEVISION AND BROADCAST MARKETS 

ADB Lighting Technologies has launched the latest in its 

line-up of memory lighting control desks, the DOMINO 

Series, headed by the new, powerful, yet affordable 

DOMINO/XT. 

Designed to provide a flexible and intuitive solution 

for both professionals and novices to use, the highly 

price-competitive DOMINO/XT elegantly combines all 

the functions of a television studio or theatrical console, 

allowing fully automated 

AT A GLANCE 

domino 24, 48, 48xt 

and 96xt versions 

CROSSFADE playback 

fader pair 

multiple physical 

submasters 

control, as required for studio 

and theatre lighting, in a new, 

sleek, lightweight, ultra-modern 

casing whose compact footprint 

will readily fit into the tightest 

control rooms. 

The four-strong series is 

available as DOMINO 24, 48, 

48XT and 96XT versions. 

Aimed squarely at the large mid-range controller market 

for television studios and theatres, medium to large 

venues, convention centres and more, a major feature 

of the DOMINO is a dedicated crossfade playback fader 

pair, along with a large number of physical submasters 

to execute playback, chasers, memories and more, for 

maximum operating flexibility. 

The DOMINO/XT versions also feature a powerful 

moving light interface with crucial control parameters 

including effects, fans, palettes, presets and filters, which 

are all controllable via a single finger touch. 

The new DOMINO/XT series offers a choice of powerful 

new lighting controllers in an important sector of the 

market that combines traditional ADB quality and reliability 

with excellent value for money and a high level of flexibility 

and ease of use. 

Its introduction follows the recent release of the new 

MIKADO manual/memory control desk. 


07


IN THE NEWS 

TF1 NEWSROOM, PARIS 

“THE 

MOTORISED 

WARP 

allows us to 

reproduce 

identical 

looks 

whenever 

they’re 

required, 

with minimum 

effort and 

maximum 

precision…It’s 

a tremendous 

step forward 

in television 

lighting.” 

TF1 PHOTOS: MIKE LETHBY 

France’s leading commercial TV station, TF1, has broken 

with television lighting tradition by making its recently 

redesigned main news studio the world’s first studio of 

this kind to be lit almost entirely by silent, fanless fully 

automated profile spotlights. 

TF1 chose the WARP/M, the Showtech Award-winning 

ADB motorised profile, as its primary lighting source for 

the brand new set of this spectacular studio, which is 

the hub of TF1’s three-times-a-day comprehensive news 

bulletins. The studio also produces weather reports, indepth 

economics reports and documentaries. 

The station shares a state-of-the-art modern complex 

in Boulogne-Billancourt, alongside the River Seine in 

south west Paris, with its fellow TF1 Group TV stations LCI, 

France 24, TF6 and Eurosport. 

BREAKING WITH CONVENTION 

TF1’s Lighting Director Jean-Bernard Favero-Longo 

and Technical Director Jean-Pascal Lefort decided not to 

use conventional TV studio lighting equipment in the new 

design. Instead they created a bold new look that exploits 

the versatility provided by automated lighting. J-B Favero- 

Longo was introduced to the WARP/M by Christian Lorenzi, 

Director of leading French rental company Arpège. 

The TF1 technical team required fanless, silent operation, 

very precise repositioning between movements, and high 

light output with low power requirement. The WARP/M’s 

cool, high-efficiency beam output of 1733 lux at 12° and 15 

metres is designed to match the light output of a standard 

1200W profile while consuming 800W of mains power, 

and its three-phase stepper motors and fanless cooling 

provide totally silent operation. 

QUICK CHANGE 

The WARP/M rig allows TF1’s Lighting Director to 

instantly adapt the look of the studio to a number of preprogrammed 

configurations. Precise repositioning then 

allows switching back to an earlier state with no variation. 

The latest version of the WARP/M’s software eliminates 

the need to reset any parameter of the luminaire – after 

a power down for example – thus eliminating a potential 

source of noise. 

The new studio set features a circular design with the 

presenters surrounded by a ring of 12 back-projected 

video screens. Overhead, a circular lighting truss carries a 

ring of 36 ADB WARP/M luminaires, with a small number 

of 1kW Fresnels and silver-finished PAR cans. 

“As soon as J-B Favero-Longo saw the WARP/M, 

he changed his set design radically,” said ADB’s Christian 

Léonard. “He wanted to create a completely new way 

of lighting the set and felt the WARP/M was the perfect 

lighting tool to do that.” 

“The WARP/M allows us to reproduce identical looks 

whenever they’re required, with minimum effort and 

maximum precision,” adds J-B Favero-Longo. “It’s a 

tremendous step forward in television lighting.” 

08

PRODUCT FOCUS 


AT A GLANCE 

FOUR DIFFERENT LAMP 

TYPES AVAILABLE 

300-400% MORE 

LUMENS PER WATT 

THAN TUNGSTEN 

PAN AND TILT POLE 

OPERATION 

SUPER COOL 

SOFTLUX Fluorescent lights for television studios 

ADB’s renowned SOFTLUX Fluorescent Cool Lights have 

benefited recently from new production techniques that 

have made this special range more cost effective. 

But besides the lower purchase price, there are more 

cost savings for the user. The super-efficient SOFTLUX 

produces 300% to 400% more lumens per watt than 

conventional tungsten lamps – resulting in lower heat 

emission, lower power consumption, more comfort for the 

subject and greatly reduced energy (heating, ventilation 

and air conditioning) costs. The lamp life of the PL lamps 

is also far higher than that of conventional halogen or HMI 

lamps. 

barndoor that boosts the light output. The lamp/reflector 

unit gives the lighting professional a symmetrical, 

directional “punchy” light output that allows for a longer 

throw or wider spread as required. 

It features the very latest in fluorescent technology, 

combining high-frequency silent ballasts and high colour 

rendition bulbs, housed in a rigid, lightweight extruded 

aluminium body, to produce a high quality light with 

significant cost savings. 

SOFTLUX fixtures are available in six different types: 

• SL 110/DMX/LC fitted with 2 PL55W fluorescent lamps 




• SLW220/DMX/LC Linear Space Light (2 x 110W in line) 

• SLW440/DMX/LC Linear Space Light (4 x 110W in line) 

Other optional items that can be supplied with the 

SOFTLUX fixtures are pan and tilt pole operation and 

‘honeycombs’ to control the angle of the lighting beam to 

20°, 40° or 60°. 

SOFTLUX fixtures are equipped with 55W Dulux–L lamps 

which are widely available from major lamp manufacturers. 

The colour temperature can be chosen between 3200K and 

5600K to adapt to the specific studio environment and to 

match the SOFTLUX output with other existing halogen or 

HMI discharge fixtures. 

Each unit is supplied with a 2m cable and a reflective 

ADB Lighting equipment is used at Belgium’s Studio A 


09


TELEVISION 

SPOTLIGHTS 

Top quality 

reference 

for studio 

and stage 

lighting 

Designed to meet the stringent lighting requirements of 

professional TV studios, these spotlights, fitted with a high 

quality Fresnel lens, provide a soft-edge beam with excellent 

light distribution, controllable from a high density spot to a 

bright and even flood. They are available in 1kW, 2kW and 

5KW Studio versions, and there is also a Compact version 

(2kW or 5kW), ideal for outside broadcast. 

A rotatable barndoor allows further accurate sharp-edged 

beam shaping. There is a choice between two basic standard 

versions, for manual and pole operation with pan, tilt and 

focus control. 

The housing, made of corrosion proof steel elements 

without any sharp edge, provides excellent mechanical 

strength, safe handling, easy storage on the floor and long 

life operation. An anchorage ring is provided for a safety bond. 

Natural ventilation through a double wall structure 

ensures efficient heat dissipation and maximum lifetime of 

lamp and lampholder. Special care has been taken of the 

design of metallic joints in order to eliminate undesirable 

noise during heating and cooling phases. 

Easy access to the lamp and to the adjustable lamp tray 

friction mechanism through the front door fitted with an 

easy and harmless locking system. All spotlights equipped 

with rotatable 4-leaf barndoor, safety grid, integrated 

accessory holder and power supply connection box. 

Optional hand or pole operated switch. 

Pole operation is smooth and allows fast and accurate 

focussing, and the system is not sensitive to heat and tilt 

angle. 

The pole operation mechanisms are fitted with a friction 

system with automatic backlash compensation, and allow 

easy access without removing the yoke. 

10

PRODUCT FOCUS 


“They have a great look, very distinctive and powerful, and they proved extremely tourable 

and reliable” – Lighting Designer Chris Bushell, The Hoosiers 

Svoboda Battens on tour… 

photoS: Mike Lethby 

The ADB SVOBODA Batten, one of the most distinctive and 

venerable lighting instruments in ADB’s entire catalogue, 

has been finding new uses on stage and in the movies. 

10 ADB SVOBODA units formed a highly distinctive 

effect for lighting designer Chris Bushell on the recent 

UK tour by The Hoosiers, with equipment rental from Neg 

Earth Lights – and also featured in Andi Watson’s striking 

design for Arctic Monkeys at the 2009 Reading/ 

Leeds Festival, the UK’s top rock festival. 

Chris, who also co-designed the stage 

set, specified the SVOBODA as part of a 

three-truss rig over a stage framed with a 

combination cabaret/theatre set with 2D 

cartoon-style set pieces silhouetted against 

a 19th century-style wallpaper backdrop. 

He explains: “The Hoosiers’ live performance 

is very visual; they’re an excellent live act. I 

wanted to reflect this excitement with a powerful 

light show, but with a design that was versatile 

enough to also be dark and moody.” 

He adds: “I used a line of 10 ADB SVOBODA units, with a 

slight gap between each to create a streaky effect. I take 

great pride in hitting every big drum fill, guitar stab, every 

shout, with a lighting accent, so I used the SVOBODAs for 

that instead of the usual ACL bars. They have a great look, 

very distinctive and powerful, and they proved extremely 

tourable and reliable.” 

Arctic Monkeys, Reading Festival, UK, 2009. Lighting Designer: Andi Watson 


11


…and 

Svoboda 

Battens 

in the 

studio 

For the psychological thriller 

‘Nine Miles Down’, set for 

release next year (pictured 

on the right), Director of 

Photography Roger Simonsz 

used SVOBODA Battens as 

one of his main overhead light 

sources during the shoot at a 

disused factory in Budapest. 

Simonsz says: “Our principal 

lighting would be small sources 

of light from doors and skylights 

along a corridor ceiling, and it 

had to accommodate lighting 

from daylight to moonlight and 

sandstorms blowing in, the rig 

had to be quite versatile. And 

I needed to be able to change 

from one look to another with a 

single lighting rig in place and 

change things very quickly.” The 

team suspended 18 downwardfacing 

ADB SVOBODA Battens, 

sourced from local supplier 

Vision Team, from the grid. 

Adds Simonsz: “The skylights 

were almost the same size as 

each SVOBODA which allowed 

each beam to be shaped by the 

skylight itself, and I changed 

the colours from day to night 

with gels. For a nightmare 

sequence there’s a 5k behind 

each door and a SVOBODA 

glowing above each skylight – 

and the colour was achieved 

using Lee 161 slate blue. The 

beauty was that it was so easy 

to put the colour on top of each 

skylight to change to a different 

look.” 

Kate Nauta plays Jennie ‘JC’ Christianson in Anthony Waller’s 

new psychological thriller ‘Nine Miles Down’, with Director of 

Photography Roger Simonsz. Below: the set in a disused factory 

12

PRODUCT FOCUS 


Photo: IVO DANKOVIC V 

WARP Zoom Profiles set the stage in Prague 

“FROM MY POINT OF VIEW THE WARP IS OUTSTANDING NOT ONLY FOR ITS 

INNOVATIVE RING CONTROL BUT IN ADB’S PHILOSOPHY FOR SPOTLIGHTS” 

v 

Ivo Dankovic, Chief Electrician of Narodni Divadlo, the 

Czech National Theatre, has specified ADB WARP Zoom 

Profile spotlights to help accommodate a large production 

that extended over the orchestra pit at Prague’s Estate 

Theatre. 

An ingenious solution was required because this 

production of Mozart’s opera La Finta Giardiniera, by 

renowned director German Karl-Ernst Herrmann, was 

originally designed for the larger Theatre de la Monnaie 

in Brussels. 

There, the opera was performed on a raked stage 

complete with a birch grove and a broad horizon. To make 

this design work in the Estates Theatre, the ‘downhill’ 

portion of the stage was extended to the orchestra pit, 

itself surrounded by a narrow foot bridge. 

This move, however, created a lighting headache, as 

the central front of house lighting position in the Estates, 

Prague’s oldest theatre, is limited to just a few lights, as 

v 

Ivo Dankovic explained: “The central lighting position is too 

remote from the stage to focus on the narrow foot bridge 

around the orchestra pit. You can’t achieve the same 

lighting quality there as on the main stage without creating 

distracting lighting effects in the orchestra.” He added: 

“The solution was to use ADB’s WARP Zoom Profiles, 


placing them close to the orchestra pit on the second 

balcony left and right. Thanks to ADB’s unique technology 

of four integrated blades with 360°rotation capability, 

it was simple to focus on the difficult parts of the stage, 

especially the narrow foot bridge around the orchestra pit, 

from each position. 

“From my point of view the WARP is outstanding not only 

in its innovative ring control of blades, iris, gobo, shutter, 

which makes everything easy to manipulate, but in ADB’s 

philosophy of profile lights in principle. I feel they’re superb 

profiles and should be available on every stage.” 

The crew, he added, were relieved to find the director 

satisfied despite some trepidation during first focusing, 

v 

says Dankovic: “Mr. Herrmann was a little nervous to see 

how it would look, but when I heard his satisfaction during 

rehearsals I knew everything was OK.” 

Historical footnote: This was not the first production by 

Karl-Ernst Herrmann and his wife Ursel in the Estates 

theatre in Prague; they had staged Mozart’s La Clemenza 

di Tito in October 2006 to considerable acclaim, and the 

couple returned with an early Mozart opera in 2008, which 

elicited the comments “One of the best opera production 

of recent years” (Musical Bulletin) and “a perfect lighting 

design by Mr Herrmann” (Harmonie Journal). 

13


WARP Daylight 

for New York 

Metropolitan 

Opera 

The New York Metropolitan Opera – the 

legendary ‘Met’ – is not only the most 

widely heard and best known opera 

company in the world, a vibrant and 

legendary institution, which is celebrating 

its 125th anniversary season. It is also 

the first opera house in North America 

to purchase the new WARP Daylight 575W Zoom Profile 

Spotlight from ADB Lighting. 

The Metropolitan Opera chose the ADB WARP Daylight 

for its combination of exceptional brightness, beam 

quality, silent operation and ADB’s patented, individual, 

360-degree ring control of focus, zoom, iris, gobos and 

shutters. The choice was made after a competitive ‘shootout’ 

with other manufacturers’ profile spotlights. 

Synonymous with its towering status in the opera world 

Photo: Jonathan Tichler/Metropolitan Opera 

is the Met’s long-standing reputation for both artistic and 

technical innovation. In 2006, the company announced 

a dramatic program of live broadcasts in HD into movie 

theatres world-wide. 

Each season the Metropolitan stages more than two 

hundred opera performances in New York. More than 

800,000 people attend the performances in the opera 

house during the season, and millions more experience 

the Met through advanced new media initiatives. 

Genexis Theatre at Singapore’s Fusionopolis 

An extensive ADB Lighting control and dimming system, 

along with 12 ADB WARP Zoom Profile Spotlights, has 

been installed at the heart of the lighting rig at the 

recently-opened Genexis Theatre at Fusionopolis in 

Singapore. 

The theatre is the work of Arup, with consultants 

Theatreplan and Singapore architects WOHA. 

ADB’s Singapore distributor, Audio Light Asia, supplied 

the lighting systems, for which a major requirement was 

flexibility to cover the many potential configurations of 

the multi-purpose space. 

The main lighting console is an ADB PHOENIX 10/XT 

with 512 channels/instruments, with an ADB MENTOR/XT 

backup desk, and the lighting system is fully networked 

using ADB’s Netport/XT and an ArtNet digital network. 

Twelve ADB WARP Zoom Profile 12°-30° Spotlights 

provide the flexibility of 

ADB’s unique endlesslyrotating 

four blade shutter, 

accurate fingertip control 

and high light output. 

Dimming is provided 

by three types of ADB 

Lighting EURODIM 3 

dimmers – a total of 335 

channels of 3kW dimming, 

57 channels of 3kW nondim 

and 61 channels of 

3kW un-switched dimming 

to control follow spots. 

14


INSIGHT 

ADB – Your Partner for Light 

Belgium N.V. ADB-TTV Technologies S.A. 

Group Headquarters 

Leuvensesteenweg 585 

B–1930 Zaventem 

Tel: +32 (0)2.709.32.11 

Fax: +32 (0)2.709.32.80 

E-mail: adb@adblighting.com 

Deutschland ADB GmbH 

Zentrale Ober-Mörlen 

Bochstrasse 3 

D-61239 Ober-Mörlen 

Tel : +49(0)6.002.93.933.0 

Fax : +49(0)6.002.93.933.33 

Email : info@adblighting.de 

France ADB S.A.S. 

Sales Office 

168/170, boulevard Camélinat 

F-92240 Malakoff 

Tel : +33 (0)1.41.17.48.50 

Fax : +33 (0)1.42.53.54.76 

Email : adb.fr@adblighting.com 

Factory & 

Group Logistics Centre 

Zone industrielle Rouvroy 

F-02100 Saint-Quentin 

Tel: +33 (0)3.23.06.35.70 

Fax: +33 (0)3.23.67.66.56 

E-Mail: adb.fr@adblighting.com 

www.adblighting.com 

INSIGHT © ADB LIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES 

Designed and produced by Mike Lethby MEDIA

ADB's New Stars for TV Lighting ADB's New Stars for TV Lighting

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