Electropop pioneer Gary Numan has completed a critically-acclaimed UK tour, with
lighting designer Luke Edwards of Cue Design Ltd selecting the compact yet
versatile Tiger Touch II to control the show’s stand-out visuals.
“All my Gary Numan shows are very dynamic,” says Edwards. “I find Avolites
products allow me to achieve that very easily. The Tiger Touch II’s intuitive
functionality meant I could create a high-impact show with minimal programming
time.”
Despite touring to some of the country’s more intimate venues such as Nottingham’s
Rock City and Bristol’s Motion nightclub, Edwards did not hold back in creating a
series of huge, high-energy looks. To get the most out of his rig, which focused on
Martin MAC Aura XB, Ayrton Magic Blade and Robe Pointe fixtures, the designer
drew on the updated features of Avolites’ latest Titan version 10 software. The full
lighting package including the Tiger Touch II was supplied by TSL Lighting.
“The Pixel Mapper allowed me to use the fixtures in a unique way, especially the
Magic Blades which were positioned at the back of the stage on uprights,” he
explains. “Instead of using the inbuilt macros I had full control to create some
fantastic effects.”
Titan v10’s hugely popular Key Frame Shapes feature also proved crucial for
creating looks quickly. Edwards comments that instead of having to create time-
consuming chases, he was able to use Key Frame Shapes to produce the same
effect in under eight button pushes.
“Key Frame Shapes offers me more advanced control – I was able to define every
little detail of the shapes I created,” he adds. “Even though Gary Numan is a full-on
visual experience, the little details make all the difference and Key Frame Shapes
really helped with this.”
Updated in version 10 to offer new directions (including random), Key Frame
Shapes allows designers to create spectacular effects from scratch. Using palettes
or the programmer to define the frames, and powerful tools such as transition
curves, phase and spatial direction, it is possible to create radically different looks
for each channel in seconds.
“It’s always a pleasure working with Gary,” concludes Edwards. “He hands over full
creative control and that freedom, combined with the infinite creative possibilities
offered by Avolites, really gets the creative juices flowing and helps make it the
great show that it is.”
Gary Numan’s tour ran from the 15 to the 26 September.
