Rolling Stones make ‘Bigger Bang’ with PixelMAD

Projected Image Digital has supplied two sets of PixelMAD 4 software to PRG, main lighting contractors for the stadium shows of the Rolling Stones ‘Bigger Bang’ tour, with lighting designed by Patrick Woodroffe.
The supply was co-ordinated by Carol Croft, PRG’s London-based project director for the Stones, and Projected Image Digital’s David March.
Pixel MAD 4 offers low-resolution video playback across 8 universes and up to 500 DMX fixtures, complete with 3 sub-mixes and 6 layers.
The system runs on an Apple MAC G5 computer and is connected via Artistic Licence Ether-Lynx units that were supplied by PRG.
PixelMAD is controlling 430 Chroma-Q ColorBlock LED fixtures inbuilt into the bases of a series of 2 metre tall scenic fascia panels that are spread across 4 layers. These illuminate a series of balconies either side of the stage and centre screen. There’s also a reflective lip at the top of each panel that bounces the light back down across the surface.
Each layer of PixelMAD controls one of the four levels of ColorBlocks.
Woodroffe, who also recently used a PixelMAD system for his acclaimed design for the ‘Lake of Dreams’ lighting installation at Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas, said: “PixelMAD gives us the facility to animate the scenery in a dynamic and organic fashion. We are able to produce softer, more amorphorous effects across a massive 200 ft wide 80 ft high canvas, whilst still allowing more traditional hard-edged and fast timed syncopation.”
(GB)