CyberHoist II Automates Huge Par Can Rig for Kanye West

XLNT's CyberHoist II system has automated an incredible 415-strong Par Can rig on hip hop giant Kanye West's headlining set at Arizona's Summer Ends festival.

Over 28,000 revellers descended on Tempe Beach Park for the four-day event, with West bringing it to a close on the Sunday evening. The rapper performed on the East Stage under a spectacular, moving array of 360 Par 64 lamps and 55 ETC Source Four Par lamps. The motion of the rig was controlled by a 17-hoist CyberHoist II system.

Leading technical supplier Creative Backstage supplied full production for the stage, led by project manager John Garberson. The CyberHoist system was supported by CyberHoist North America.

"We worked closely alongside Kanye's creative team to make his old school stage lighting vision come to life," says Garberson. "As they had used the CyberHoist II system on previous shows, including this year's Glastonbury festival in the UK, it was the ideal solution for the automation."

The SIL3 (Safety Integrity Level 3) compliant CyberHoist II motion control system was pre-programmed to cues to automate the 32' x 42' rig and create the set's main looks, which included rising the front of the grid to expose the entire array of lights then later rising the back to create a different perspective.

"It was my first time using the system, and I was very impressed with the pre-programming of cues and the variable speed of the motors," says Garberson. "

The CyberHoist II enables a show designer to create precise, complex 2-D and 3-D movements at variable speed (up to 30m/min. = 100'/min), with multiple actuators in single, group, or subgroup formations.

"I really liked the fast connection from the hoist to the control panel, which was set up on a laptop. It made everything run very smoothly," says Garberson.

Summer Ends festival ran from September 24 - 27, 2015.