Elation - Lighting Breakthroughs for Theaters and Events

0:19 Hi everyone, welcome back to another great episode on Geezers of Gear Future Tech. I got to tell you, we really love to bring you the scoop each week, don't we, Chris? We sure do. This industry is so full of exciting new tech and news, especially innovations from brands like our friends at Elation. Speaking of Elation and their KL series, here's the thing about the KL Core IP. It's essentially the superhero of outdoor lighting. I mean, it's IP65 rated, which means rain, dust or a sandstorm. It's shrugging it all off and inside a 400 Watt R GB MALED engine pushing out over 15,000 lumens of outputs. That's not just brightness, it's broadcasting, theatre, film ready, illumination, even if you're in the middle of nowhere. Whoa, 15,000 lumens?

1:09 That sounds almost blinding, but walk me through and maybe explain the our listeners what you mean by the IP rating. Great question. So IP65 means it's tightly sealed against dust and can handle water from any direction. You could dump a bucket of water on it and nothing still shining bright, making it perfect for outdoor gigs, especially unpredictable weather setups. Oh, like summer festivals when it pours right at Showtime. Exactly. And it's not just durable, it's versatile. You can configure this thing as an ellipsoidal with IP67 lens tubes for focused beams, a Fresnel for soft washes, or even a monolight for, let's say, film sets. It's basically a Swiss Army knife for lighting designers.

1:51 Wait, a Leco Fresnel and a Monolight? Isn't that kind of unusual for one fixture to pull off? Oh totally it's wild you just swap out lenses or attach a bones mount for soft boxes, lanterns, whatever you need. Honestly, it would have saved me so much hassle on so many of my past projects. What sort of hassles are we talking? Picture this. We're doing a festival deep in the mountains. Storm rolls in hard. The rigging is soaked, the fixtures are freaking out, half of them dead. If we'd had the KL Core IP, it would have just laughed off the rain and worked like a champ. Plus, with its dim to warm and redshift capabilities, we could have mimicked the warm incandescent look for the softer sets.

2:34 I still think about that gig. Man that sounds stressful, but it's cool to see how this tech could really change the game for those situations. Absolutely, and let's not forget the colour flexibility. Full CNY emulation, green magenta shift, and a virtual gel Library designers can create any mood anytime, right there on the spot. You know, after hearing about how versatile the KL Core IP is, it makes me think about theatre lighting. It's not just about lighting a stage. It's like you're bringing history to life. But how does that even work for a place as old as the Stefan Jaromski Theatre in Poland? All right, so Stefan Jaromski is a perfect example of blending old world charm with cutting edge tech. They integrated a mix of Fuse Max profile moving heads and KL Fresnel 8 floodlights.

3:22 Now with these fixtures, they're able to craft nuanced atmospheres for performances. Subtle, bold, modern or classic. And the Fuse fixtures, they're these incredibly versatile tools designed to work quietly, perfect for a theatre environment. Quiet. Oh, because of like the fan noise, right? Exactly. Theatres demand that sort of quiet. You don't want a loud fan sound drowning out an actor's monologue, do you? Also, it's not just fidelity, it's control. These lights are capable of colour blending so precise that you can shift the audience's mood without them even realizing it. You're fully transporting them into the world of the play. OK, but what's different when you're dealing with a place like the Dakota Theatre in The Hague, which we spoke about a couple of weeks ago?

4:07 Great question. You might recall Dakota Theatre transition to all LED lighting including the KL Profile FC and Fuse Wash 500. What's really impressive here is that these fixtures give them incredible adaptability. The KL Profile FC for instance, It's got a full R GB MALED engine so they can replicate any colour or temperature they want. It's like a painter having every colour on their palette right when they need it. I remember that discussion and it sounds cool, but I got to admit it almost sounds too easy. What's the catch? You're right to ask that. And the challenge isn't the gear, it's the planning. Retrofitting historic spaces presents logistical hurdles.

4:48 Think old rigging systems, limited space for the fixtures and the need to preserve the building's integrity. Oh, that's actually something I've run up against. Back in, gosh, maybe 2010 I worked with this old community theater. We only had access to these pretty heavy old fixtures and it was a headache finding space for everything without messing up the architecture. Exactly. Now imagine if you had KL units back then. These fixtures, compact designs, and integrated zoom eliminate the need for tons of extra lens tubes. Plus, modern fixtures are lightweight and easier to rig. It's like giving theatres new creative tools they never had access to with older tech.

5:30 OK, but how does that balance with tradition? Like, aren't there purists who resist this kind of modernization? Totally. And that's where smart integration comes in. It's not about replacing the spirit of these venues, it's about enhancing it. The Redshift features on the Fresnel fixtures, for example, can mimic that warm incandescent glow everyone loves. So while it's LED, it feels classic. All right, I'll give it to you. That does sound like the best of both worlds. It really is. These updates are turning century old theatres into hubs for modern, boundary pushing productions without compromising their heritage. It's transformational work, really.

6:10 And Speaking of transformations, there's some fascinating stuff happening in Broadcasting Spaces with Elations KL series. We should dig into that next. Yeah, I, for one, am very intrigued and I love to learn more around this new tech that's hitting the market. Well, since we just touched on transformations in historic theatres, let's switch gears and look at broadcasting. 1 stand out example is Nova Broadcasting Groups set up in Sofia. They didn't just install a few lights, they went all in with nearly 450 luminaires from Elations KL Line. Think KL Fresnos, KL Panels profiles. It's like an artist having every brush imaginable for their masterpiece. 450 OK, that's wild, but why so many? Because of the scale Lacy, they've got multiple TV studios, radio spaces, and video walls running 4K. It's a demanding setup.

7:01 These fixtures not only deliver consistent color, but they're being tasked to handle everything from soft studio backdrops to punchy, vibrant front lighting, all without breaking a sweat. That's amazing, but I bet it's not just about looking good, right? There's got to be more to it. Of course, it's also about efficiency. These LEDs are built to last, literally cutting maintenance costs to almost nothing. Plus, they're extremely energy efficient, which ties into that big trend we're seeing in venues going green. Right, like at a KKC up in Denmark. Yeah, I think you mentioned they recently switched to LEDs for sustainability. Exactly. It was part environmental and part practical.

7:41 Their old fixtures were massive power hogs. They'd been running 18 2K profiles. With the new system, it's half the fixtures and a fraction of the energy. One of their lighting guys said. They're saving so much power that it's shocking, especially for a venue operating nearly 18 hours a day. Wow. And I'm guessing this kind of setup doesn't only make the accountants happy. Their creativity's got to be boosted too, right? Oh totally. With something like the KL Profile FC used at another upgraded venue, the HOF Theatre in the Netherlands, you're adding full spectrum colour dim to warm, precise beam shaping. Designers can make a stage feel cozy, cinematic or minimalist, all with a single fixture.

8:24 It's giving venues the tools to break free creatively without stacking up gear. So no more climbing up ladders to switch out gels? Nice space saver too, huh? Exactly. Not to mention less downtime for resets at yet another theatre, the Ruth and Nathan Hale Theatre in Utah. Their entire workflow got streamlined, they've got elation artiste Monet fixtures alongside KL profiles and the flexibility of the rig allows them to tackle anything. Musicals, theatre in the round setups, even immersive pre show visuals with colour matching house lights and all without losing focus on delivering consistent high quality light. All right, sold. So if you're in the industry, these upgrades aren't just bells and whistles, they're sort of essential.

9:08 Totally essential at this point. Ignoring LED tech is like refusing to use a smartphone in 2025. It's not just about staying current, it's about unlocking both economic and creative potential. And with fixtures like these, we're not just seeing better lighting, we're literally seeing a shift in how productions define what's possible. Well, I feel smarter already, and honestly, it's kind of exciting to think about how this tech is shaping the future of live entertainment and broadcasting. Thanks for today's great inspiration and education, Chris. Always a pleasure, Lacey. And with that, folks, that wraps up this episode of Geezers of Gear Future Tech. If you liked what you heard or you've got lighting stories of your own, hit us up. Until next time, stay lit.

10:08 Oh, La La with music to your ears. Hey, hey, hey. Let's go. New gear vibes, new tech jive gearheads unite. We keep it live.