ETC LEDs dazzle Norwegian theatergoers

When Ibsenhuset Theatre in Skien, Norway, was about to undergo a complete refurbishment, the technical managers looked for new lighting fixtures and controls that could take the theater well into the 21st century. They ended up specifying over 100 ETC Selador® Desire® LED luminaires, along with two different - but connected - ETC Unison® control systems.

The installation was complicated by the existing mix of DMX and DALI systems at the theater, according to Benjamin Reinhoff, project manager at Elektrik Solutions, who supplied the products and helped with specification. "We installed two Unison Paradigm systems to control the new Selador LED lighting in the auditorium and around the stage area, as well as in nearby rehearsal and side rooms. There's also a new Unison Mosaic processor for controlling the 600 DALI lights in the 800-square-meter [8,611-square-foot] foyer, which is used as a performance area," he explains.

The Unison systems are designed to allow the lighting to be set by both trained and untrained personnel, such as bar staff, cleaners and security, who can then adjust the lighting as they need to. "This can always be overridden by the main lighting controller," explains Reinhoff, "who can prevent accidental triggering of the auditorium fixtures during a concert, for example."

Eight pushbutton panels will be installed in the foyer and the surrounding areas, and two more LCD panels in the stage area to control the fixtures, as part of the second stage of the project. "We will also soon be installing six ETC Net3 One Port DMX Gateways in the area around the stage," adds Reinhoff, "so that staff can connect a simple desk and take control of the DALI lamps via Unison."

The lighting specification called for 80 Selador D40 Lustr+™ LED fixtures for its 800-seat auditorium, and house and worklight areas, along with 35 of ETC's new Selador Desire D22 model. Explains Reinhoff: "There are areas in which we needed low-profile fixtures, which made the D22 perfect - such as in parts of the auditorium with relatively low headroom, where they replaced downlights. The D22 is the latest in the Selador line, and the theater managers were delighted to be among the first customers." While very aware of the fixtures' energy efficiency, the managers also realized that LED lighting, with up to 50,000 hours of life, would require much lower maintenance than any other type of fixture - no lamp or gel replacements will be needed.

They were also impressed with the color capabilities, and their ability to provide smooth, flicker-free dimming. Says Reinhoff: "This, along with the support and warranty we can provide with ETC backing us up, is a winning combination! The managers have told us how happy they are with the system. There are a lot of touring productions going in, and so there has been plenty of feedback from incoming lighting operators that have used the venue. They've all told us how great the new lighting looks."