Liberty University Chooses Ayrton MISTRAL and GHIBLI Spot Luminaires for Lighting Flexibility on Campus

Liberty University has invested in a complement of Ayrton MISTRAL and GHIBLI LED spot luminaires for a variety of uses on the Lynchburg, Virginia campus. ACT Lighting, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton fixtures in North America.

The MISTRALs were delivered last fall to Event Production, the department providing audio, video, and lighting support for any event on campus, including concerts, conferences, and speaking events. The fixtures are mounted in truss in a multi-use event space, which hosts a wide array of entertainment programs and gatherings.

"We were looking to replace the venue's spots with an LED option," recalls Amy Caun, lighting director/production technician with Event Production. "We didn't want to worry about lamp life, power and heat, and we needed a fixture that was flexible enough for all of the events held in the event space.

"One of our technicians had seen MISTRAL at a trade show. Doug Mekanik, our rep at ACT Lighting, also recommended them to us and provided a demo unit for us to try out," she says. "MISTRAL was the right size, and it was bright and flexible. We were impressed by its zoom, color mixing, the saturated color you can get without losing brightness, and the effects capabilities."

Event Production purchased the fixtures from Barbizon and has been pleased with how "they really enhance the concerts and events we support," including concerts by Red, Tedashii, Jenny & Tyler, and Peabod, she says. "They're a great addition to the event space, and for smaller events they add texture on the walls and floor and color around the room. We like the cool sparkle effects and the morphing capabilities between effects wheels."

"She says that Event Production hopes to order more MISTRALs to their inventory in the future to 'further increase our creative options."

When Caun and her team demo'd MISTRAL they also looked at Ayrton's GHIBLI LED spot luminaire with factory-equipped framing shutters. They have just taken delivery of GHIBLIs for the auditorium in Liberty's new School of Business, which is an installed venue still under construction but will function as both a lecture hall for classes and a venue for televised debates. "We need a front light option for the new auditorium, a space where the lights are not easily accessible," Caun explains.

"We wanted an LED spot, with framing shutters, good CRI and light output if we want to broadcast from that venue. We also needed a fixture that we could aim remotely. GHIBLI checked all those boxes. We thought it would give us maximum flexibility in the new room." The GHIBLIs were purchased from 4Wall.

Event Production's inventory also features an array of grandMA2 consoles for lighting and video control. "We have full-size, light, ultra-light, and command wings," Caun reports. "We use a command wing in the event space and the other units are installed at venues across the campus." ACT Lighting is the exclusive distributor of MA Lighting equipment in North America.