Bright Ideas At ISE 2026

0:19 All right, welcome back to Geezers of Gear Future Tech. I'm Chris, joined once again by the lovely Lacey. Today we're basically geeking out about ET CS massive showing at ISE 2026 in Barcelona. Bright lights, new toys and a bit of industry schmoozing. My kind of Expo. Yeah, ISE is always a big one, right? And ET CS bringing major firepower this year. You've got the data Flash 5000, plus this whole pixel thing going on with Megapix and Gigapix. It's like if you want your stage to scream, look at me, these are the fixtures you want. Oh exactly and look ETC coming back with this new gear line up it almost makes me nostalgic.

1:00 I remember probably 20 years ago. No more like what, 25? My first encounter with ETC at a trade show. Back then it was Source 4 Lycos and a sea of Dimmeracs. We thought it was bleeding edge. Now it's well, Data Flash 5000, Gigapix, all this pixel magic and output you'd never dreamt of back then. It's wild how fast they've evolved these days. It's not just about basic lighting anymore. Everything's got to be versatile and visual. The Megapix and Gigapix, well, I don't want to pretend I'm an expert, but it feels like this is ETC saying hey, we're not just for the theatre folks anymore, we're here to play in big splashy event tech too. Spot on.

1:44 This year's lineup really. Plants ETC writing with the most creative tech in our industry. I mean, the pixel based design thing, that's basically the playground now for lighting designers who want to go beyond just pointy lights go spinny spin, right? But you know, ISE is great for seeing it all in context. You can tell when a company brings kit that's really meant to crossover between corporate gigs, rock'n'roll, and even architectural stuff. So let's dig into what's actually new. The data flash 5 thousands, the one that gets talked about a lot, 52,000 lumens. That's, I mean, that's so much light. Are people wearing shades at these demos? You joke, but seriously, at that level, if you're front row and the operator's got a sense of humor, you're getting your retina checked, right?

2:31 This thing isn't just a strobe, it's like impact distilled down into pixels, but it's also fully RGB, so you're not stuck with just white. You've got colour, all pixel mappable and macros that blow people away when you see them in person. Perfect for concerts, TV, just about anything needing a big punch on stage or in broadcast. Yeah. And then Megapix and Gigapix, they're the new pixel based toys. Can you help me out here, Chris? Is it about having more control, or is it just bigger numbers, more pixels, more fun? Now, great question. It's about both, but especially the creative control. Megapix and Gigapix are ETC.

3:11 Taking that pixel based design idea all the way, small or large rigs, you want flexibility. You can drop these into a massive festival setup or just stick a few in for a club gig and you still get seamless integration. It's all about making the designers life easier and honestly letting folks dream up weird wild looks without fighting the gear. That actually reminds me, I caught a demo a while back. Different context but it was the tour hog console. Not the same as these lights exactly, but watching the operator snap between queues, adjusting everything on the fly, it made me realize how tech like this just keeps crews sane. You get a fast moving event with caterers, hospitality, people, performers all over the place.

3:54 You need consoles and fixtures that aren't going to fight you. ET CS are really aiming for that this year, right? Honestly, that's the key. They're showing the full hog line at ISE, previewing the tour wing too, actually. So yeah, whether you're coordinating A hospitality gig or a mega show, it's about gear that works under pressure and gives you that creative edge. And of course it wouldn't be ISE if it was just about fancy lights. There's always networking etcs running those designers interval sessions every day. Like happy hour for lighting nerds, right? That's it. From 2:00 to 3:00 in the afternoon, soft drink, snacks and more industry gossip than you can handle.

4:34 It's so much more than just chatting, though. These sessions are hands on. You get to try the kit, share stories, and, you know, basically solve problems you wouldn't crack alone. Honestly, some of the best design ideas I've ever nicked borrowed came from these informal meet ups. And ET CS making a point this year of showing off some deeper collaboration too. Their foundation desk is running XE chain hoist at the area for booth. So not just lights, but stage machinery, automation, all wired up and demoed. You see it all playing together. Yeah, and let's not forget, ETC always brings proper support to these events. Field service engineers are on hand for demos or to talk actual show needs right there on the stand.

5:19 Like you come in with a crazy install challenge and you'll probably walk out with at least three solutions or at the very least someone's Direct Line. That sort of peer networking, I mean, it's how our industry keeps levelling up. It's true, customer support isn't just a call centre, it's on site people who'll answer weird questions or even pop over and save your install. We talked a lot in previous episodes about how crucial that kind of support and peer help really is. I love seeing that in action at these shows. Couldn't agree more. So whether you're chasing groundbreaking effects or you're just there for the drinks and war stories, ET CS Booth is kind of the place to be at ISC 2026. That's about all we've got today, but I suspect we'll have more bright ideas next week.

6:04 Laci, always a pleasure. Always, Chris. Thanks everyone for tuning in. See you next time on Geezers of Gear Future Tech Bye. Cheers everyone, catch you soon. Music to your ears. Hey, hey. Yay. Let's go. New gear vibes. New tech jive gearheads unite. We keep it live. Oh yeah.

6:45 The Lunar's gear, the Leaders gear. We got it here. Got it here.