i-Pix’s unique new db1 video / beam light-source made its UK dance event debut at
the 2015 Manchester International Festival (MIF)’s “10×10 Day & Night’, a special two
night collaboration between MIF and The Warehouse Project (WHP) to celebrate 10
years of both events in the city of Manchester.
Manchester based lighting specialist dbn was providing lighting and visuals. When
the organisers confirmed they wanted something inventive and different, the db1s
were proposed by dbn and i-Pix’ Chris Ewington … and they found the additional
production budget needed for the 23 fixtures to grace the main stage at the
Mayfield Depot.
Jon Drape, MD of Ground Control which co-ordinates all production for the WHP
organisers, commented, “We’ve been waiting to get the DB1s on a show since Chris
first invited us to see the fixture in development. The unique collaboration between
the Warehouse Project and Manchester International Festival was the perfect
opportunity. The db1 is a ground-breaking product, and like the audiences, we were
completely blown away with its impact.’
The db1s were used on the second of the two 12 hour events, which ran from 2
p.m. to 2 a.m. at the cool occasional venue and former train station in the heart of
the city.
“It was a perfect opportunity to show the versatility and high impact of the fixture,’
commented db1 inventor Ewington, who was delighted with the results.
Twenty-three db1s were arranged in four pyramids stacks on the main stage for the
evening which was headlined by Carl Craig and Mike Banks.
The db1s were run as both a lighting and a video fixture.
Video sources were fed into them via an Avolites Ai Infinity X8 server run by
Ewington from a Tiger Touch II console which produced beautiful organic and
powerful mesmeric patterns and movement.
These effects were further enhanced as the db1’s 15 powerful LED cells were
manipulated by being mapped, with strobing and intensity run as a lighting fixture
by Edwin Croft from his Avo Pearl Expert console.
Combining the two modes of operation enabled Croft to chop the lightsources in and
out, so when db1s were the only light on in the room they delivered huge slices and
beams of textured light.
The precision of the db1’s LED lightsource when pulsed means that the eye can see
the different colours changing as the light is emitted, giving nanosecond hits of
incredible split-colour light.
“I had the privilege of designing and operating at these two very special nights. It
was an exciting and creative journey made all the better by a great team working
with me behind the scenes. Good on them for having the balls to try something
new,’ he said.
