Geezers Of Gear - FutureTech Featuring ETC's Prodigy Balance

0:19 All right, welcome back to Geezers of Gear Future Tech I'm Chris and as always, I'm joined by Lacey. Today we're talking about something that's well been a bit of a headache for stage crews for what centuries now. Rigging specifically how ET, CS prodigy balance is shaking things up. But before we get into the new stuff, let's talk about the old ways. Laci, you ever have to deal with those old counterweight systems? Oh absolutely. I mean, I didn't do the heavy lifting myself, but I've watched enough crews sweating it out, climbing up those terrifyingly narrow staircases to the loading bridge. And honestly I always thought, how is this still a thing? Like you're up there balancing bricks hoping nothing slips. It's wild.

1:02 Yeah, it's mad, isn't it? The first mentions of stage machinery go back to the 1600s, and counterweight rigging's been around since, what, the 1800s? And yet the basics haven't changed much. You've got these loading bridges, sometimes two or three stories up, and you're leaning over railings, stacking heavy bricks, just praying you've done your maths right so the set doesn't come crashing down. I mean, I remember early in my career I was backstage at this old theater and someone above dropped a weight. I swear it missed me by about a foot. Scare the life out of me. That's the reality. One slip and it's a disaster. That's exactly it. And it's not just the pros, right schools and students.

1:44 Most places won't even let students near the rigging because it's so risky. I've seen teachers just flat out refuse to use the system. It's always been one of the most dangerous parts of working backstage and honestly, it's kind of amazing it's taken this long for someone to rethink it. Yeah, and it's not just the heights, it's the whole process, climbing up, balancing bricks, hoping you're not the one who gets the math wrong. It's a bit of a relic, really, but you know, there's something almost artful about running your own rigging, bringing battens in and out by hand. It's just, well, the danger's always been part of the deal. Or at least it was. So let's talk about what's actually changed with Prodigy balance.

2:25 Because honestly when I first heard about it, I thought OK, another fancy gadget. But this is more than that. The self-contained weight stack. That's a game changer. You're not climbing up to load bricks anymore. Everything happens at stage level. You just use these pins to add or remove weight. Kind of like a gym machine. No more hauling bricks upstairs. I mean, that alone would have saved so many headaches. Yeah, and the detachable clue is brilliant. So you've got this drill. Well, it's a dedicated tool, but it's basically a drill and you use it to raise the clue, which disconnects the weight from the batten. You can load the Arbor and the batten at the same time, right there on the ground. No more leaning over railing, no more hoping you don't drop a brick on someone's head.

3:09 And the bricks themselves, they're designed to nest together with these laser cut pins that lock them in place. It's also much more stable. And the safety features, there's a position sensor built into the rope block. So if the rope moves too fast, like if something goes wrong and the Arbor starts to run away, the brake kicks in automatically. It slows everything down, so you don't get that terrifying runaway effect. I mean, it's almost impossible to have an out of weight situation now, and if you do, the system's got your back. Exactly. And then there's the modular guide wall. That means you can install the whole thing in a fraction of the time it used to take. No more building massive structures just to hold up the rigging. And if you're retrofitting an old space, you can use compression tubes so you're not relying on the building's beams being in the perfect spot.

3:55 It's just so much more flexible. I read about a school that retrofitted their theater with Prodigy balance. They cut their install time way down and the staff said it was just so much safer. Plus with ETC site link, they can monitor everything remotely, get alerts, lock out the system if needed. It's like, finally someone's thinking about the people actually using this stuff, not just the engineers. Yeah, and that's something we talked about a few episodes back with ETC site link, how cloud based monitoring is changing the game for lighting and rigging. Now you've got that same level of control and safety for your rigging system. It's all about making things safer and easier for everyone, from the seasoned pros to the students just learning the ropes.

4:37 So let's get into what it's actually like to use this thing. You're at stage level, you've got your pins, and you just adjust the weight stack to match whatever you're putting on the baton. No more guessing, no more climbing. And the integrated LED lights, you can control the color and brightness from the same controller you use for the hoist. It's all right there. I mean, I remember being on tour trying to figure out which line set was which in the dark and just wishing for something like this would have made my life so much easier. Yeah, and you can monitor the line sets remotely, run reports, even lock out the system so no one can mess with it when you're not around. The Prodigy Balance has a 50 foot travel and can lift up to one £200 which is pretty impressive for a manual system.

5:19 And if you need to go heavier you just pair it with one of ETC's automated hoists. It's all compatible so you get the best of both worlds. Manual control where you want it, automation where you need it. And honestly, just being able to stay on the ground, that's huge. I mean, I'm not afraid of heights, but I don't love the idea of balancing bricks 3 stories up. I remember my first time working a show, someone handed me a rope and said don't let go. I had no idea what I was doing and I was terrified I'd mess it up. If we'd had something like Prodigy Balance, I probably would have slept a lot better that night. Yeah, it's a massive leap forward. It's safer, it's faster, and it's just, well, smarter.

6:00 And it's nice to see the industry finally catching up to what people actually need backstage. I think we'll be seeing a lot more of this kind of tech in the next few years. Absolutely. And you know, it's not just about the gear, it's about making the whole process better for everyone. I'm excited to see where it goes next. All right, that's all we've got for today on ET CS Rigging Reinvented. Thanks for listening everyone. Lacey, always a pleasure. Thanks Chris, and thanks to everyone tuning in. We'll catch you next time on Geezers of Gear Future Tech Take care.

6:43 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. Oh yeah, the lunar ski. The lunar ski. We got it here. Got it here.