ADB-TTV Lighting Technologies
Specialty: ADBâ??s core competence is in high performance, high quality products and services for professional applications in stage and studio lighting. ADB produces a full range of professional equipment from lighting control desks, dimmers to spotlights with all necessary accessories. A recent product release is WARP and WARP/M, a series of innovative profiling luminaries, using a set of rings to control the shutters. Other brands in the ADB family are NIETHAMMER spotlights.
History:
ADB, originally founded in Belgium in 1920, operated as a family business until 1987 when it was acquired by the Siemens Group.
At that time ADB had already pioneered some of the key technologies used in TTV lighting, such as digital dimmers, memory control systems, condenser optics for theatre spotlightsâ?¦ and was strongly established as a leading broadline manufacturer of stage and studio lighting equipment with facilities in Belgium and France, a sales subsidiary in Germany, and a worldwide network of agents and distributors.
In March 1999, all TTV activities have been consolidated under a new legal entity, ADB-TTV Technologies S.A. In December 2002, in what was actually a management buy-out, Christian LĂ©onard and Jean-François Dâ??Haussy, respectively General Manager and Finance & Administration Manager of ADB-TTV France, backed up by a group of private and institutional investors, reached an agreement with Siemens for the acquisition of all the assets of the ADB-TTV Group and for the transfer, under a long term contract, of the production of all dimmers to the modern facility of Siemens in Huizingen, near Brussels.
Manufacture of control systems and TV studio suspensions was relocated in the ADB factory in France where all theatre and TV luminaires are produced. The French facility was expanded in order to provide extra capacity primarily for the new, revolutionary WARP profile spotlight and its motorization kit. R&D, Product Engineering, Marketing and International Sales remain centralized in the Belgian premises as before
Following all these changes, the new ADB-TTV Group is now a lean and agile operation able to face new challenges.
Capabilities:
ADB is mastering software and hardware development, as well as product engineering and production of all key components of a stage or studio lighting system, i.e. luminaires, dimmers, control desks, networks and motorized suspensions. For the end user, this is the guarantee of system wide compatibility of all components, easier maintenance, plus the comfort of dealing with only one responsible partner.
From system design through equipment specifications, installation and commissioning, the ADB Project Team provides customized solutions for any kind of stage or studio lighting system, even complete lighting vans for use wherever power supply is not available. ADB Project Engineers ensure efficient coordination with Consultants and Architects as well as the specialists in infrastructures, air conditioning, stage machinery, sound, electricity, e.a. so as to guarantee the end user timely project completion and total system performance. The ADB Project Team is totalling nearly 100 man-years of experience in lighting system design and project management.
ADBâ??s core competence is in high performance, high quality products and services for professional applications in stage and studio lighting.
ADB does not compromise on the quality, safety and reliability of its products.
ADB operates through three subsidiaries in France, Belgium, Germany and a network of professional agents and distributors in over 50 countries of Europe, Asia, North Africa and South America.
References:
A wealth of experience in stage and studio lighting, a comprehensive range of high quality products and a strong project management capability are some of the key strengths which have made of ADB the preferred partner of so many Theatre and Television Lighting Professionals around the world. An impressive reference list is available upon request.
Used Dimmer Racks
Dimmer racks are a specialist device used to control the brightness level of lighting fixtures. Also known as dimmers, these light dimming systems adjust brightness by increasing or decreasing the voltage to the light, affecting how much actual power the lamp receives. By doing this, the light outputâ??s intensity can be adjusted.
Dimmer racks are often used in theatres and concert venues (where they are known as a touring dimmer rack), and specifically controls halogen, resistive incandescent and compact fluorescent lights. For dimming mercury vapor, solid state, fluorescent and other specialist types of lighting, more specialized equipment than a dimmer rack module is needed.
There are several different types of dimmer racks available, starting with the smaller light switch size boxes that are used in homes, all the way up to large consoles which are used in concert venues, theater etc. Such professional dimmer racks are too large to be controlled directly like the ones at home, and so a DMX or DALI control system is used instead.
When dimmer racks used in professional situations, changing the intensity or dimming the lights is known as â??fading upâ?ť or â??fading downâ?ť. Itâ??s recommended that lights are not â??fadedâ?? too quickly, as doing so can damage the life expectancy of the lamp in question, although this is less of an issue with more advanced dimmer rack module units.
