Northgate is a special school which has been on its current site since 1963. The Arts are more than curricular subjects at the school, they are the foundation for engaging, inspiring and motivating pupils throughout their school lives. Clarity were therefore delighted to lend their expertise to update the theatrical lighting in their drama studio.
A remote wall-mounted control panel was installed to allow simple static lighting ‘scenes’ to be set at the touch of a button. Several scenes can easily be set, allowing anyone to use the system with ease without needing to connect the lighting desk – a simple button press sets the correct lighting levels. This is ideal for day-to-day use.
The system can also be operated by the school’s iPad and the screen layout was customised to the school’s requirements by Clarity. With the iPad and the control panel, the school’s existing complex lighting desk was no longer required.
DMX is the international standard for control of theatrical lighting. As the school’s existing wireless DMX transmitters and receivers were proving unreliable, Clarity removed them and replaced them with a hardwired DMX distribution system, installed into a new wall-mounted equipment cabinet.
Four LED par cans in the school hall were moved into the drama studio and in place of the hall fixtures, Clarity supplied four new high brightness par cans. Whilst on site Clarity gave the hall sound system a full service which included removing dust and dirt from all the equipment, testing the loudspeakers, amplifiers, associated equipment and audio connection panels. As the school’s mixer and connection panel were both faulty these were replaced as part of the task, as well as supplying a streaming CD/media player mounted into their sound equipment trolley. Together with the iPad control this means that the full control of the system, including any music stored on the tablet or another Bluetooth enabled device, can be selected, started, stopped, paused, plus the volume adjusted, without needing to access the equipment trolley.
