Company: MGG
Name: Herman Wessels
Which product/s caught your eye at Prolight+Sound 2018?
There were so many new and innovative products to see at Prolight+Sound that you almost did not know where to look. One of the things that caught my eye was the new GrandMA3. Some elements and functionalities will be included in the console that I have been hoping for since the release of the GrandMA 1.
The new BlackTrax tracking software system is impressive. With the integration of zones, media, lighting and sound, this innovation is a product that will take the industry by storm in my opinion.
Other products that stood out for me were the new Claypaky Axcor 300 and the ROBE Mega Point fixtures. These units are not just well priced, but I see them becoming workhorse fixtures in the years to come. I love the fact that many manufacturers are developing smaller and lighter lighting units with a brighter output.
Do you feel that these products are well suited to the local market?
The BlackTrax system is very well suited for the local market, especially as it has scalable applications. The product is very versatile and suits anything from a small show where you can’t hire a followspot but have six movers in the rig to major live events that need to track audio, media and lighting.
The Claypaky and ROBE units are very well priced. Their versatility will broaden the scope of any lighting designer.
To be completely honest, I think that units like the GrandMA3 are a little bit out of reach for those of us in the developing markets. However, as we will only start seeing MA3’s on riders from about mid-2019, there is still space for South Africa to catch up.
What was the overall highlight of Prolight+Sound 2018
There are so many new and exciting products and developments in the entertainment technology industry that those products that stood above the rest were exceptional.
