Artistic Licence Engineering at PLASA Focus: Leeds 2012

Artistic Licence Engineering will show two new ranges of products along with several OEM solutions and a new modular version of the Multichrome Range at PLASA Focus: Leeds, April 17-18, at the Royal Armouries in stand S-D13.

Fresh for the show will be the two-input DMX / RDM splitter, Duo-Split RDM, and the Zone Control Range of Mica, Diamond, Quartz, and Zircon architectural wall panel controllers. New products and modules have been added to the Multichrome Range, all of which will be on display, while the Rack Pack gains a new member in the form of the exciting new dVnet '10 click' media converter.

dVnet is the latest addition to the Artistic Licence Rack Pack, a product range that features slim 19" rack casings. dVnet is a digital-video-to-network converter aimed squarely at retail and architectural applications where a media facade or light sculpture is to be controlled by video and the complexity of a media server is not required. In many instances, the lighting designer or light artist will have created their work in video -- dVnet is all they need to convert their work to light. dVnet provides digital video inputs in HDMI format. According to the company, configuration of the product is simple, with less than ten mouse clicks required to see video rendered to a media wall.

dVnet can also playback video clips loaded onto its internal hard drive and provides a play list manager for the purpose. The product output is via a gigabit network connection with both Art-Net 3 and sACN protocol support.

Previewed at ARC 2012 and now launched at PLASA Focus as part of the Zone Control range, Diamond, along with its sister products, Mica, Quartz and Zircon, is one of Artistic Licence's new range of trigger panels designed primarily for the architectural market.

Diamond is a wall panel controller carved from solid aluminium and in filled with wood or plastic to match the client's decor. The product mounts to a standard two-gang UK back box and communicates via a network connection. It also supports power-over-Ethernet, further simplifying the installation process. Diamond features eight gently curved buttons. Each button can be individually backlit with total control over color and intensity. The internal web browser allows the user to simply configure the operation and color of each button.

Mica is a wall mounted trigger panel designed as a user interface to larger, more sophisticated systems. Its eight push buttons can be configured to send trigger messages such as Art-Net Macros or Art-DMX packets.

Similar to Mica, Quartz is also an eight button trigger panel capable of sending Art-Net Macros or Art-DMX packets. However Quartz's stylish front panel has eight RGB LED buttons which can be configured, via an internal web browser, to show idle and active colors and fits into a standard two-gang UK back box. Messages can be either unicast or broadcast allowing the commands to be contained within zones or sent to the entire system. Quartz also offers a trigger web page that allows users to simulate a button press on any web browser enabled device, such as an iPad.

Zircon is a stand-alone RGB LED controller with a unique face plate design that can be customized to suit its surroundings. Designed to fit in a standard two-gang UK back box, Zircon can be installed in any location. Power is provided by power-over-Ethernet and all communication is via Ethernet / Art-Net so the installation method is also standard.

Each of the eight buttons can be configured to run a show or static look. For ease, these 'shows' and 'looks' are pre-programmed with the choice made from a drop down list.

Diamond, Quartz, and Zircon can be supplied with a choice of front panel material including any commercially available colored plastic or real wood finishes including cherry, dark wood, and pine.

Duo-Split RDM is Artistic Licence Engineering's new two-input, eight-output DMX and RDM splitter. Housed in a 19" 1U rack enclosure, Duo-Split uses the same market-leading DMX splitter technology employed across Artistic Licence's full Splitter Range (which includes Rail-Split RDM, Rack-Split RDM, and Iso-Split RDM).

Duo-Split combines not only two separate splitters within a single product, but also a fixer mode when RDM is not required. Each of its eight outputs can be individually selected to either of the two inputs, while these inputs can be independently set to 'splitter' or 'fixer' mode to give the user maximum flexibility.

After a successful launch at PLASA 2011, Multichrome Tube is now available in modular form and can be supplied in a variety of lengths and different configurations. These include, single-or double-sided strips, various pixel pitches and up to three LEDs in series per pixel. Benefiting from proven Multichrome technology and rich colors, these modular lengths provide an easy to use solution for linear strips of RGB pixels.

The new modularity means that Multichrome Tube can be integrated more easily into its surroundings, a quality which has also been extended to Multichrome Flex which is available in various pixel pitches and with or without its IP67 casing.

Both products use the same architecture and therefore require the same drivers. Consequently, regardless of whatever form or configuration they are used, both can be driven from the same controller.