New i-Pix Db1 Fixture Makes Dance Event Debut at 10x10

	i-Pix Db1 at 10x10 Day & Night

i-Pix's unique new Db1 video / beam light-source made its UK dance event debut at the 2015 Manchester International Festival (MIF)'s 10x10 Day & Night, a special two-night collaboration between MIF and The Warehouse Project (WHP) to celebrate 10 years of both events in the city of Manchester.

Manchester-based lighting specialist dbn was providing lighting and visuals. When the organizers confirmed they wanted something inventive and different, the Db1s were proposed by dbn and i-Pix' Chris Ewington ... and they found the additional production budget needed for the 23 fixtures to grace the main stage at the Mayfield Depot.

Jon Drape, managing director of Ground Control which coordinates all production for the WHP organizers, commented, "We've been waiting to get the Db1s on a show since Chris first invited us to see the fixture in development. The unique collaboration between the Warehouse Project and Manchester International Festival was the perfect opportunity. The Db1 is a ground-breaking product, and like the audiences, we were completely blown away with its impact."

The Db1s were used on the second of the two 12 hour events, which ran from 2pm to 2am at the cool occasional venue and former train station in the heart of the city.

"It was a perfect opportunity to show the versatility and high impact of the fixture," commented Db1 inventor Ewington, who was delighted with the results.

Twenty-three Db1s were arranged in four pyramids stacks on the main stage for the evening which was headlined by Carl Craig and Mike Banks. The Db1s were run as both a lighting and a video fixture.

Video sources were fed into them via an Avolites Ai Infinity X8 server run by Ewington from a Tiger Touch II console which produced beautiful organic and powerful mesmeric patterns and movement.

These effects were further enhanced as the Db1's 15 powerful LED cells were manipulated by being mapped, with strobing and intensity run as a lighting fixture by Edwin Croft from his Avolites Pearl Expert console.

Ewington ran a selection of original content through the fixtures while Croft added a whole new dimension of patterning, spirals, and swirls, etc. which really brought a 3D element as well as intense luminosity to the output.

Working together, the company says the two of them effectively made the Db1s a moving lightsource with a huge repertoire of individual, never-repeated liquid and flowing effects and looks in a wide range of rich, distinctive colors.

Combining the two modes of operation enabled Croft to chop the lightsources in and out, so when Db1s were the only light on in the room they delivered huge slices and beams of textured light.

Ewington reported he approached the media server almost like a morphing gobo. While the video content will always stay on the 'surface' of the Db1, the beams of light shooting out from the LEDs inside and being moved by the video means the units can work as a perfect companion to any moving or static lightsource also on the rig.

The strobing is also an incredibly potent effect.

The precision of the Db1's LED lightsource when pulsed means that the eye can see the different colors changing as the light is emitted, giving nanosecond hits of incredible split-color light.

Says Ewington, "I had the privilege of designing and operating at these two very special nights. It was an exciting and creative journey made all the better by a great team working with me behind the scenes. Good on them for having the balls to try something new!"

A week earlier, Ewington had operated 24 Db1s for a Charlatans gig at Castlefields Arena in Manchester, when he ran them more in conventional lightsource.

After that he reprogrammed the desk so he could access different media server clips on the bump buttons, ideal for the more rave- and improvisational-style of operation appropriate for 10x10.

"They are new, properly different, definitely exciting ... and were the highlight of a fantastic event," declares Pete Robinson from dbn.

To contact i-Pix direct, please call Chris Ewington on +44 7973 491 634 or EMail chris@i-pix.com.