UK: Avolites were strongly represented at the UK edition of the Electric Daisy Carnival, with two Sapphire Touch consoles, a Tiger Touch II and an Expert Pro, all supplied by Electric Fly, controlling the three main stages.
50,000 Electronic Dance Music fans were out in force for the event at Milton Keynes Bowl, which took on an elaborate transformation, with carnival performers and fairground rides keeping revellers entertained. The bowl itself was turned into the world’s largest 360-degree lighting installation designed by ElectricFlyProductions, using LED panels that completely enveloped the kineticFIELD.
Featuring giants of the EDM scene such as Avicii, Calvin Harris and Martin Garrix; the kineticFIELD front of house contained a Sapphire Touch taking pride of place, operated by festival LD Electric Fly’s Ross Chapple, and Calvin Harris LD Tom Sheppard. The console controlled a number of remarkable production elements including confetti cannons and the largest flame units seen in Europe.
The Cosmic Meadow Stage was controlled by LD Ben Hyman, also using a Sapphire Touch to light up performances from names such as Route 94, Miguel Campbell and Timo Maas. The stage was characterised by its asymmetrical spiral construction that made perfect use of the lighting to create a wormhole-like scene.
Tim Smith used a Tiger Touch II and an Expert Pro running the beta for the upcoming Titan v8 to control the Circuit Grounds stage lighting for acts like Paul Van Dyk, Ben Gold and Paul Oakenfold.
Nick Jevons, Creative Director at Electric Fly has a longstanding relationship with Avolites, and is also employing consoles and media servers at Global Gathering. “We continue to use Avolites because they offer unparalleled service and dedication to the cause and they have seriously up their game with the release of Titan 7 OS” states Nick. “They have supported me through my career and I have never forgotten that.”
When asked about the consoles, Nick said “My favourite features are the fast programming and quick access to palettes and shapes, allowing us to build a show you can rely on in a short period of time.
“Shows like these are multi-universes and take various types of fixtures. To handle these, consoles have to do more than ‘just lights.’ They need to handle LED fixtures and screens, be able to pixel map your show, and have flexibility. The Avolites consoles are more than up to the task.”