Chauvet LED fixtures have replaced tungsten-filament lighting at Nottingham’s National Ice Centre. Nottinghamshire-based supplier OneBigStar was recently tasked with revitalising the ice rink’s lighting rig and, following a demonstration of a variety of fixtures, the company specified 10 Chauvet Rogue R2 LED Spot fixtures and 20 COLORdash Par-Hex 12 LED wash fixtures for permanent install at the popular skating venue.
Key requirements for the new fixtures were durability and excellent performance. “We’ve built a long-term relationship with Chauvet because we share the same values regarding build quality and providing value for money. The durability of Chauvet products makes them an obvious choice for installations such as this one,” said OneBigStar director Simon Taylor.
Offering full colour-changing capabilities and efficient energy usage, the Chauvet Rogue and COLORwash LED also require less maintenance than tungsten fixtures. OneBigStar specified the Rogue R2 Spot because its powerful LED engine cuts through ambient light levels extremely well; additionally it offers a wide range of optic gobo effects. The COLORdash Par-Hex 12 has a powerful hex chip, and with the addition of UV on the ice, has made it possible to create some very effective colours and chases.
The install team evenly spaced the COLORdash units around the perimeter of the rink in pairs to ensure even coverage. The lighting truss grid, which covers the surface of the ice, was installed by OneBigStar in 2005.
Chauvet’s PC-run and iPad controlled ShowXpress control software was added to control the moving heads, enabling the lights to be fully remote controllable at any position in the arena.
“We wanted a software-based control system that could make best use of the features in the fitting and allow control from an iPad,” said the National Ice Centre’s Adam Timson. “Our team has found the software intuitive and enjoyable with plenty of programmable scenes and random chase features to use. Thanks to OneBigStar and Chauvet, we’ve been able to bring our lighting system right up to date for a reasonable cost with minimal disruption.”
