Probably one of the most ubiquitous lighting consoles at large scale events both
internationally and at home is the grandMA2 from leading lighting control systems
manufacturer MA Lighting.
MA lighting has been around for almost 30 years and has a large market footprint in
South Africa with many notable users of the grandMA2 platform. Pro-Systems
caught up with a few local and international users to get their insight into the
functionality of their console and their overall view and these are our findings. But
first, a little history.
History
Founded in 1983 in Germany by Michael Adenau (hence “MA’) and then joined by
software specialist Ernst Ebrecht in 1985, MA lighting was known for its innovative
lighting control products starting in that same year with the Lightcommander series
of control desks that featured real level memory; the hefty LCD120 control desk
that was debuted at PLASA London along with the brand itself; the MA
Scancommander in 1992 aimed at intelligent lighting; their touring-grade dimmers
launched in 1995 and then the giant leap forward in the spring of 1997 with the
unveiling of the grandMA “series one’.
The original grandMA, based on the Scancommander and Lightcommander consoles
of the past, was a hybrid lighting control console that, according to MA: “brought a
new level of hardware sophistication to the lighting world’. It featured full colour
touch screens, motorised faders, a built in UPS and an on-board hard drive;
features quite advanced for the time. Indeed, these features only seemed to
become commonplace in the 21st Century.
Eventually, around the turn of millennium, MA released smaller, more portable
versions of the grandMA such as the grandMA light, the grandMA replay unit and the
grandMA offline editor, enabling lighting designers and operators to design their
show beforehand. In the autumn of 2001 the grandMA ultra-light was released.
That same year saw MA Lighting International GmbH founding its headquarters in
Paderborn, Germany which focussed its attention on distribution of their products
worldwide; a testament to their growing popularity.
By 2007, MA Lighting had grown from a few products to an entire range that
culminated in a complete system solution for lighting professionals. Indeed, the MA
system at the time was the only scalable system on the market that could reliably
control up to 64 DMX universes. However, in 2008, everything changed slightly if
not improved with the introduction of the subject of this user review: the grandMA2
series.
The grandMA2 was a result of MA Lighting listening closely to the calls of their
customers. They retained the intuitiveness of the original grandMA that their users
had come to love, right down to the same command line. The software was
updated and optimised and the displays were reorganised for a more ergonomic
feel and increased intelligibility. The somewhat garish housing that typified the 90s
design of the original grandMA fell away and the new surface boasted a cleaner,
flat-black modern look that has remained somewhat timeless in an era of increasing
change.
The grandMA2, like its predecessor, is an integrated lighting system solution with
the MA NPU (Network Processing Unit), the MA NSP (Network Signal Processor) and
the dimMA, the digital installation dimmer. All of these units communicate with
each other via MA-Net2 over Ethernet; bringing the power of the IP network to the
lighting control world.
Features
• Real-time control for up to 65 536 parameters per session in connection with MA
NPU (equivalent to 256 DMX universes)
• 8 192 HTP/LTP parameters
• 6 DMX outputs
• 3 internal TFT wide mode touchscreens (15.4′ WXGA)
• 2 external TFT screens can be connected (UXGA, touchscreens accepted)
• 1 internal command screen – multi-touch (9′ SVGA)
• 30 motorised executor faders
• Integrated keyboard drawer
• Built-in uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
• 2 etherCON connectors, 5 USB 2.0 connectors
• Motorised monitor wing
• 2 motorised A/B fader 100mm
• Individually backlit and dimmable silent (clickless) keys
Now that we know a little about the heritage of MA Lighting and grandMA2, let’s see
what its users both locally and abroad have to say about it, shall we?
Tim Dunn lighting designer, Gearhouse SA
“We have been using grandMA series one for many years so when grandMA2 was
launched it was an easy decision to make. It is also the most internationally
specified console. The grandMA2 console was one of the best investments we have
made, since their (Gearhouse) purchase of the range they are always out on shows.
You can never own enough grandMA2 consoles.
“I think what separates the platform from competing brands is its flexibility; it
caters for a vast variety of different shows and has a vast variety of features that
can be customised for different users. The networking makes it extremely flexible
to cater for larger shows with full tracking backup and multiuser capabilities. The
GUI is very intuitive and easy to navigate. It’s been well thought out and I find it is
easy to find what I am looking for because it just makes sense. Features like
Macros make it fast to program complex things in one button press. The MA Tricks
feature is an excellent tool for programming big rigs. Dynamic Presets, another
great feature that makes for less changing views, in turn speeds up my
programming time. I could go on all day about a list of features that make my life
easier, the grandMA2 platform in general makes my life easier.
“As lighting evolves and products become more flexible there will always be an
easier way to control them. What makes the grandMA2 so powerful is that it is
always evolving. So to answer the question; no, there is nothing that I don’t like
about the platform.
“grandMA2 support in South Africa is phenomenal. The local distributors are always
there when you need help, even if it is just for advice on designing a control
system. We get excellent support and it is also one of the reasons that make
operating the grandMA2 such a pleasurable experience. DWR Distribution holds
regular training sessions and they are always willing to spend some one on one
time with us.’
Paul Collison lighting designer, Eleven DESIGN Australia
“I own, rent and specify MA control systems almost exclusively. The platform has
good pedigree that stems back for decades and that experience has helped get
them to this point with a sophisticated and powerful control system. With the
introduction of the low-end OnPC command wings, there are now no shows that a
grandMA2 control system is not appropriate for.
“There are many key advantages I find with using GMA2 over other systems. Firstly
there is the networking side and multi-user aspect. My experience on The X Factor
in Australia and New Zealand displays this. Three surfaces populate the control
room for three operators, white light, creative lighting and video control. We have
two surfaces on the studio floor which any operator can access or can be used by
the technical crew for service. We can then centralise triggers for lighting, video
and audio effects all from one button push. We can preview states in MA3D, with a
file that was directly imported from Vectorworks. We communicate with our
Pandora’s Box media servers directly via MA-Net2. I can’t think of any other
controller that is capable of what we make our GMA2 system do on these shows.
“External communications with MA2 systems are a quick and efficient. I use MANet2
for Arkaos Media Master and Pandoras Box. I trigger things on my MA with Artnet or
DMX inputs all the time. I use the Telnet communication side of things with
Australian developer Hippy’s programmer, TimeLord, which is a great program for
those shows where you want to run audio as well as get timecode cues happening.
My only wish would be to have a more sophisticated output of things like TCP
messages so we can trigger devices that communicate at a TCP level.
“Our local MA support is second to none. Show Technology in Australia provides
amazing technical support that is efficiently and speedily backed up MA
International. The support of both of these companies has meant MA products are at
the forefront of the majority of productions in Australia.
“My favourite thing about MA is their ability to add features all the time. The
relentless development that happens behind the scenes is amazing. I think MA2 is
going to be around for a long, long time to come.’
Tim Routledge freelance lighting designer, UK
“I bought into the grandMA series-one about 10 years ago and it became my
weapon of choice very quickly. As soon as grandMA2 was launched I was the first
user in the UK to own the console and now own a large number of the entire range
of consoles from wings to full-size. We are known as MA specialists in the UK and
we knew the grandMA2 was going to be special from the outset and wanted to be
involved from the start.
“The technical support is second to none, not that I have needed much but I know
there is always someone I can speak to if I want to do something new. Plus MA
really just specialises in consoles; they don’t make lights or screens and they are
focussed simply on creating the best console platform.
“The networking has always been central to MA and for large scale projects there is
really only choice for me because I can have several programmers working at the
same time. With grandMA2 it is now really simple to take bits and bobs from your
various show files, so if something worked really well in one show you can import
that effect or fixture straight from another show file. Making up complex show files
is now much, much quicker. Artnet is now really super simple on the console and so
large networks of Artnet to other nodes really is not an issue. I also use a few
third-party software applications for importing patches and cue lists from Excel
spread sheets or timecode-reading software. I can now import an entire patch and
all the cue lists for a show in the blink of an eye. All the boring admin is done
speedily and I can then really concentrate on the art. Layout views and the speed of
grabbing and cloning fixtures are really second to none. I can clone in new fixtures
for one song, the entire second half of a show or just the colour parameters; it’s all
amazingly flexible.
“For me in the UK our local distributor is Ambersphere and they are quite simply
the most helpful of all the distributors I have ever come across – and any
conversation always starts with a cup of tea and probably cake!’
Francois van der Merwe owner/lighting designer, Wizardy Group
“For us you don’t buy a lighting console when you buy MA, you buy a system
[because] you can scale the system for your event. It also integrates with its own
video server and virtualiser, which was the deciding factor for us. I definitely think
MA has an edge over its competitors in the market and I think it is the power of the
hardware and software that gives them that edge. Also, constant developments
keep them ahead.
“[In terms of features that I like,] there are no set GUI or screen layouts; you can
set it up the way you need to for an event. Also, you can set up the screen layout
for the different size consoles and for different users. That is what appeals to a lot
of people. I know the whole world is going on about GUIs, from apps to lighting
consoles, but one of the most powerful features that people miss because they are
so intrigued by how easy and beautiful the GUI looks like is the command line.
“I think with any console there will always be something that you will make you
think: “It will be nice if it could do that’. What sets MA apart from other
manufacturers is that they listen to their users, constantly develop their software
and keep adding new features.’ Version 3 was released a couple of months ago and
is a big update for us and nearly all the features and tweaks we requested were
added in, and more. The thing that we need to remember is that technology of
lighting is constantly changing and features that we used two years ago might be
redundant and features that we will need next year are currently not needed. That
is where MA really plays a strong game. The other thing that I dislike is not a
manufacturer or console problem, but the perception in the industry that MA is only
used for large events. I think if the correct marketing is done a lot more people will
use MA on smaller events.
“The support locally is unbelievable, not that we need support that much. DWR’s
reputation in the industry speaks for itself.’
Joshua Cutts owner/lighting designer, Visual Frontier
“I have been using MA2 consoles for four years now. I needed a console change and
grandMA2 is the most intuitive and user friendly console I’ve found so it was a
natural and simple process to switch over. I haven’t looked back and I don’t see
myself changing anytime soon.
“I most definitely think the MA2 is a great investment. There are plenty of great
lighting consoles out there at the moment; all with fantastic features, but for me
the MA2 is a complete package. It allows you keep it simple or get as advanced and
complex as you would like. The console has almost unlimited features but never
forces you to use them. It lets you do what suits your style.
“The main feature for me is the networking capabilities; it’s the most powerful
feature. It is very simple to set up and is almost as simple as plug and play. In the
time-pressured industry we work in you don’t want to be spending all your time
trying to get things to work. I find that MA just works. The fact that the GUI is
completely customisable per user makes it very comfortable. I can go to any
grandMA2 console and load my user profile and suddenly the desk feels like it
belongs to me.
“I can’t say there is anything major that I don’t like. There is always room for
improvement, hence software updates. It would be nice to have a more powerful
built-in pixel mapper so that I don’t have to use media server to achieve this. I
have never had a hassle connecting the console with most additional gear that I
have needed. I tend to use many different media servers because of all the
different suppliers in the industry and the MA now plays nicely with most of them.
“Nick Britz at DWR is a great help with MA. He always goes the extra mile to help.
He understands the systems extensively so I joke that instead of checking the help
file I just call him. It’s easier.’
Robert Hoey creative director/lighting designer, Dreamsets
“Having seen quite an awesome demo on the desk and how versatile this platform
is [was our motivation for purchasing the grandMA2]. It was an easy choice for me
as an LD. Great after-sales service also helps sell this desk.
“It has changed how we light shows and how quick you can create on them. You can
setup a quick busk with lots of options, multiple faders and flash buttons make this
so great to operate on. The network and expansion options are endless. You can
also create complex time-lined systems triggering everything from smoke to pyro
to AV servers. The international and local support systems are outstanding and you
feel like you have real support. Flexibility, build quality and backup [is what
separates this platform from competitors].
“[The grandMA2] is all about flexibility. You can create so many different viewing
options and layout formats that this desk seems endless and these options are a
button push away. I have used so many different layout and views that all my
shows differ in some way or another. I love using pallets to create with and you can
change all of them to suit the different types of shows you are working on. The 3D
visualisation option is another great system that lets you see your design from
various different views from behind the console. The information about your rig and
plot from this desk is incredible and it’s all available on the front layer if you need it
to be; there is no tedious menu within menu options.
“[Features I would like to see in the grandMA2 include] RDM wireless capability, a
built in video server, great audio options, a comms interface, a built in camera
system with lens options, recording capabilities, a spring loaded timing wheel and
parameters buttons for quick button access to pallets and number references. Also,
MA2 for Mac; that’s my only problem. Why not, or when?
“[Support for the grandMA2 locally has been] fantastic and beyond all expectations.
The DWR team have come out at night to our venue in Joburg. This was after two
hours’ notice. They brought along the demo desk from the shop. Within one hour
they isolated the problem and replaced the broken parts with theirs. Back plotting
within three hours. The DWR team rocks so hard, best people around. I have had
Duncan Riley and Robert Izzett changing power supplies while the CEO is on the
other side of the tabs giving his keynote address. That’s how far these guys will go
for you. They have changed how service and support is delivered in our industry.’
Peter Rieck owner/lighting designer, Blond Productions
“The real motivation [for purchasing the grandMA2] came from the grandMA series-
one, which I considered the best lighting desk at the time until the grandMA2
arrived, which was even better. We needed to purchase another “big’ lighting
console and the obvious choice was another grandMA2.
“It is most definitely worth the investment if you look at the bigger picture and the
whole networking side that drives MA. It’s the best. I mean, a lighting desk is a
lighting desk but a grandMA2 combined with a VPU (Video Processor Unit) and a
NPU (Networking Processor Unit) plus running a backup desk for your show that can
take over at anytime works seamlessly together. You just can’t beat that.
“MA is constantly improving the software by adding new features to make an
already user-friendly system more flexible and reliable. I like the way I can setup
different views with all the relevant information I need for a show. I also like the
flexibility of each button / fader that I can change for different applications.
“The local support is fantastic. You can’t ask for a better team than DWR. We have
sat many long nights together and solved problems.’
Michael Seeverens lighting designer, The Art of Light, the Netherlands
“Our company owns a grandMA2 full-size and several On PC wings. They are used
for pre-programming in our visualisation studio and to take it on the road. The
motivation is that it’s a versatile control system. For example, for Armin Only, we
use a lot of tracks that are time-code programmed which is a very powerful tool in
the MA2.
“I’m very sure it is [a worthwhile investment]! Even after a couple of years it will
keep his value. Besides that, MA is constantly developing their platform, which is
also needed with the rapid movement of the industries technology. It’s a very
versatile platform. You can access it in multiple ways. Keeping it an open platform
(connecting fader wings, DMX input, macros and commands) makes it very flexible
and suitable for speedy and complex programming. This is in contrast with
competing manufacturers which obligate you to use their specific user interface.
“I like the fact that you can make your own personal layout the way that works best
for you, which is an easy way of creating macros. You can put everything exactly
there where you want it to be. That makes it on the other hand also very complex,
but in the end this flexibility gives you endless options. The great thing about MA is,
as long the device sends DMX or MIDI you can connect, for instance, an external
fader wing or button pads which gives you even more direct access. For example,
the Artnet input / output gives you endless possibilities as we are testing now on
Armin van Buuren shows with bracelets that control complete lighting rigs in
movement and intensities. In other words, Armin can control the movement of the
fixtures we control with the GrandMA2.
“Rolight in the Netherlands is the Dutch supplier for MA. They have great after-
sales, 24/7 support and service.’
Mauritz Jacobs lighting designer, Dreamsets
“I had been using the [high end systems] Hog desks when I was at Strike
Productions for 10 years from the Hog 1000 right through to the Hog III. They were
amazing desks at that time. However there were a lot of issues with those desks
regarding software updates, etc. In 2011 Duncan Riley from DWR introduced to us
the grandMA2 which we had a look at and were very impressed with its capabilities.
Also, the customer care is just simply amazing for the product which the Hogs
seriously fell short on. We purchased the grandMa2 full-size shortly after that and
we have not looked back one day.
“In my opinion it is the best kit we have ever spent money on. The desk just makes
sense from the word go. Even when it comes to building your own effects to doing
shows on timecode; it’s all so very easy, quick and effective.
“If I had to compare the grandMA2 to any desk it would win with flying colours. The
backup you have on this equipment is of utmost importance, which we do have.
They are continuously upgrading the software to sort out little bugs and improve the
consoles. I honestly don’t see how any other brand can compete with this desk as it
is a very stable and reliable piece of equipment. I enjoy having everything in front
of me. The four screens (on the full-size) are enough to put absolutely everything in
that you might need and is as easy to get to at the touch of a button.
“Local support has been absolutely mind blowing. You can’t ask for better support.’
Simon King senior lighting technician, South Africa State Theatre
“For us, purchasing the grandMA2 was simple: we were upgrading from the
grandMA series-one range. It’s a great investment, very easy to use and I have lit
shows on different continents and all had grandMA2s. They’re used and recognised
worldwide.
“It gives you an enormous amount of info at your fingertips and makes it almost
impossible for you to use other desks without touch screen capability. If there is
anything negative to say it is about editing effects, which sometimes do naughty
things. And MA2 has no game built in.
“As previously stated the main reason for going with MA was the support and
assistance offered by Duncan Riley and his team. No one else comes close. DWR
has the best service and support in the country.’
The wrap
Clearly, MA has ardent support from users both locally and worldwide. In a time
when lighting control consoles are becoming increasingly competitive in a market
with an escalating number of manufacturers, MA seems to have no problem keeping
their shoulders above the rising tides of progress and keeping their customers
happy.
