Steve Lieberman Uses Nexus and ÉPIX to Blend Architecture and Pixel Mapping at XSYou have to stand out to stay ahead in Las Vegas; nowhere is this more apparent than at XS. The award-winning club at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas has led Nightclub & Bar's Top 100 list for an unprecedented six years. Never one to rest on its laurels, the team at XS has continuously sought out new ways to provide guests with an unparalleled nightlife experience, whether it's by bringing in the most sought-after DJs or taking a great lighting design to the next level of technology. Nightclub lighting designer Steve Lieberman of SJ Lighting is intimately familiar with the latter point. The creative force behind many leading nightclub lighting designs, Lieberman was engaged to work his magic on XS and give the club a new, more technology driven look. He met this challenge with a bold futuristic design that drew on the pixel mapping power of the Nexus Aw 7x7 warm white LED panels and ÉPIX Strip 2.0 LED strips from Chauvet Professional. "I've enjoyed a good relationship with the team at XS," said Lieberman. "When XS managing partner Jesse Waits announced that they were ready to take the next step at the club in terms of lighting, we put our heads together to come up with a state-of-the-art concept. They wanted to incorporate newer technology into the design so they could stay ahead of the competition. We built our design with pixel mappable fixtures such as Nexus and ÉPIX, which could do things that weren't possible when the club was originally conceptualized." Among the high-tech features that Lieberman incorporated into his design was a custom designed DJ booth. "We wanted a booth that allowed the DJ to face front and back," said Lieberman. "We created a 3D video screen with six cubes that displays video on four sides to create a sense of depth." Once the DJ booth was constructed, Lieberman turned his attention to the overall design of the venue. His goal: to use lighting to create a completely immersive experience in the club, making every aspect of the room an interwoven nexus of light, music, and energy. "When I looked at the room I wanted to highlight all of its architectural elements with tech driven visual excitement," said Lieberman. Lieberman lined the walls, archways, and soffits of the club with 80 Nexus Aw 7x7 panels. Using a MADRIX controller with a grandMA console, visual elements are pixel mapped throughout the venue via the Nexus units. While the Nexus panels unify the visual landscape at XS, the ÉPIX Strip 2.0 units and struts that support the large DJ video panel provide greater depth and detail to key scenic elements. Like the Nexus panels, this technology is pixel mapped to display images that coordinate with video. "Everything in this room works together," said Lieberman. "Technology has given us great new tools to create more movement and add unity to lighting designs. We wanted to use this capability to create something cutting-edge and unique at XS -- it's what this club is known for." For more information visit: www.sjlighting.net For more information on XS visit: www.xslasvegas.com See Chauvet Professional at PLASA Focus: Kansas City, May 20 - 21. ![](/std_images/blank.gif)
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