Electronic Theatre Controls
Since its founding by Fred Foster in 1975, ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.) has become a global leader in award-winning entertainment and architectural lighting equipment. ETC's fixtures, lighting control consoles, dimmers and distribution products are the backbone of lighting systems in venues worldwide - from schools and churches, to community theaters and TV studios, to opera houses and theme parks.
Over the first decade of its history, ETC earned a reputation for sophisticated microprocessor-based lighting control consoles. By 1990, ETC had acquired Lighting Methods, Inc., a Rochester, New York-based manufacturer of entertainment dimming systems. ETC quickly became one of the largest fully-integrated entertainment lighting control manufacturers in North America, with offices in Middleton, WI; Orlando, FL; Rochester, NY; and Hollywood, CA. The next phase of growth began in 1995, when ETC acquired the lighting control division of London-based distributor ARRI GB. That same year, ETC opened an office in Hong Kong, extending its expansion into Asia. In 1997, ETC opened an office in Copenhagen, Denmark, to serve the Northern European market, and a year later opened an office in Rome, allowing greater access to Southern Europe. ETC acquired Transtechnik Lichtsysteme, Holzkirchen, Germany in 2002, widening ETC's market potential in Europe. Continuing its growth, ETC took an equity position in Avab France in 2003. In 2004, ETC acquired Dutch sine wave dimming manufacturer IES and its industrial weighing and measuring division Penko Engineering BV, both located in Veenendaal, the Netherlands. Beginning March 31, 2005, all formerly separate operations of ETC in Europe joined under the common corporate banner of ETC. ETC's new international headquarters, located in Middleton, WI (near the state capital Madison) serve as hub of global administration and manufacturing.
Through the years, ETC has gained an industry-wide reputation for outstanding service and customer support. ETC not only maintains in-house, 24-hour Technical and Customer Service staffs, but an extensive network of factory-trained, authorized field service centers.
Used LED Lighting
LED lighting is a specialized kind of stage lighting which is highly valued by technicians due to its high light output and low power consumption. Used as an alternative to traditional stage lighting such as halogen lamps, LED stage lighting is a more than capable alternative for just about any kind of application, although it is primarily used for lighting cycloramas, and for side, back and top lighting.
In addition to these uses, LED lighting can be used to ??blind the audience?, a nice special effect which involves briefly exposing the audience to a direct light beam from the LED stage lighting at crucial moments of the concert or show. LED wash lights are also great for applying a technique known as ??wall washing?, thanks to the high intensity of their light beam.
LED wash lights can provide the full spectrum of light colors, despite usually only being fitted with green, blue and red LEDs. The operator simply needs to adjust the intensity of the various colored beams of light, manipulating them to achieve the desired color spectrum.
LED lighting is provided by three pieces of equipment. The most common are LED Pars, which imitate traditional stage lights and have a number of LEDs mounted onto them. Striplights, which are basically a long length of LED wash lights, are also very common, while the versatility of moving LED lights is also becoming an increasingly preferred option for many stage lighting technicians.
Besides its higher light output and lower power consumption, LED lighting has a number of other advantages. One is that they have an exceptionally high heat tolerance, which means they can be used almost anywhere without worrying about them becoming damaged due to overheating. Another advantage of LED lighting is that it has a much longer shelf life than traditional lighting.
