The R&D department at Artistic Licence Engineering has been working overtime to produce two new ‘ranges’ of products along with several OEM solutions and a new modular version of the Multichrome Range.The new products will have their first full showing at PLASA Focus at The Royal Armouries, Leeds, on 17-18 April 2012. (Artistic Licence Engineering 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, whilst the Rack Pack gains a new member in the form of the exciting new dVnet ’10 click’ media server.
New for PLASA Focus 2012
dVnet
dVnet is the latest addition to the Artistic Licence Rack Pack. As with the entire range, dVnet is housed in a slim 19 inch rack case. dVnet is a digital video to network converter. It is aimed squarely at the 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 both DVI and HDMI formats. Configuration of the product is simplicity itself, 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.
Diamond
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 the headline act in the Zone Control range. It is an elegant 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 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 colour and intensity. The internal web browser allows the user to simply configure the operation and colour of each button.
Mica
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.
Quartz
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 8 RGB LED buttons which can be configured, via an internal web browser, to show idle and active colours and fits into a standard ‘2 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
Zircon is a stand-alone RGB LED controller with a unique face plate design that can be customised to suit its surroundings. Designed to fit in a standard 2 gang box, Zircon can be installed in any location. Power is provided by PoE and all communication is via Ethernet / Art-Net so the installation method is also standard. Each of the 8 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 coloured plastic or real wood finishes including cherry, dark wood and pine.
Duo-Split RDM
Duo-Split RDM is Artistic Licence Engineering’s new two-input, eight-output DMX & 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, whilst these inputs can be independently set to ‘splitter’ or ‘fixer’ mode to give the user maximum flexibility.
Multichrome Range Goes Modular
Finally, 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 colours, these modular lengths provide an easy to use solution for linear strips of RGB pixels.
Multichrome Tube
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.
Multichrome Flex
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.
Artistic Licence Engineering’s Simon Hobday and Murray Gellatly will be on hand at PLASA Focus (Stand S-D13) to demonstrate the new products and answer questions.