ETC Stage Machinery operates in Germany for the first time

TÜV-certified stage machinery by ETC is in full operation in Germany for the very first time. Theatre and event house Neuberinhaus in Reichenbach, invested in eight Prodigy P2 stage hoists and a QuickTouch+12 control system late last year, including a wall control panel and wired remote control.

The previous technology included 16 manual counterweight systems which had been operating for 35 years at Neuberinhaus. The upgrade with ETC’s products saw venue staff praising the ‘modern, efficient and easy-to-use’ equipment with plans to continue investing in Prodigy P2 hoists in 2019.

Neuberinhaus is a multi-purpose event venue, hosting concerts, theatrical performances and a variety of cultural events. The scope of activities requires advanced and versatile stage technology, and ETC was selected to meet the requirements. Ronald T. Böhm, Manager of Neuberinhaus commented: “The variety of productions and performances means that the equipment needs are constantly changing. ETC’s Prodigy P2 stage hoists are much more effective: they save a great deal of time in comparison to the labor-intensive counter-weight systems.”

Böhm identified key benefits from the upgrade to ETC’s stage machinery: “built-in load measurement and automatic slack rope detection makes it easy for technicians to get the job done and the flexibility and reliability of the system is second to none.”

The venue will continue to invest in further Prodigy P2 hoists by ETC in the future. “This is a worthwhile investment for us,” commented Böhm, “particularly as the entire stage machinery set-up was done so quickly and faultlessly. The Prodigy P2 weighs only 152kg and because of this there has also been no structural problems.”

ETC's QuickTouch+ 12 control station complements the eight installed Prodigy P2 winches. It can control up to twelve axes of upper machinery; the technicians have two options – the main control unit is fixed to the theatre wall, but they can also use the Fixed Speed Remote Control when required. With the help of the QuickTouch+, pipe battens can be moved at the push of a button and brought to the optimum position during setup.

ETC’s European offices have been selling stage machinery products in Europe since 2015. From stage winches to banner hoists and controls, the portfolio offers a broad spectrum that meets all the requirements of installations in theatres, studios, arenas and more. The innovative design of the products allows for quick and easy installation times, which is an essential advantage to tight production schedules.

QuickTouch and QuickTouch+ are available for wall mounting. The easy-to-use, user-friendly interface offers comprehensive control options and safety-related feedback, such as dead man's switch, accurate load detection and monitoring, or slack rope detection.