W-DMX™ ON ANDREA BOCELLI @ COLOSSEUM

W-DMX™ by Wireless Solution Sweden AB recently helped make a monumental concert possible in a delicate setting. Rome authorities rarely give permission for concerts to be held inside the Colosseum but made an exception for legendary Andrea Bocelli to sing in a benefit to help victims of the April 6 Italian earthquake.

The concert was produced and organized by Four One Music & Events in collaboration with Comune di Roma and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of the Capital. Bocelli sang 12 arias and Neapolitan songs to an elite audience of several hundred people who paid 1,000 euros ($1,400) a ticket to witness the historical event. The proceeds of the evening were given in support of Abruzzo, to help rebuild the music conservatory of L’Aquila, which was severely damaged in the quake that killed some 300 people. Lighitng designer Nicola-Manuel Tallino created a scheme which not only played up the charm of the famed monument, but also followed strict guidelines as to what could and could not be installed. Because wires and cables were forbidden, Tallino turned to W-DMX for wireless control of the fixtures. 24 SGM Giotto Spot 1500 fixtures lit the lower sections of the stage, with 12 Giotto Beam 1500 moving head projectors, supplied by Agorà, lining the perimeter of the arena to give backlight. The soft pastels complimented the architecture of the arena. The Giottos have W-DMX receivers built directly into the fixtures and ship directly from the factory. The console was connected to a single W-DMX S-1 Transmitter and broadcast the DMX signal wirelessly to perfection for the entire duration of the concert, in spite of a heavy amount of live broadcast equipment and thick ancient stone walls. SGM Lighting Group was a pioneer in implementing W-DMX technology as default into their fixtures starting in 2006 and have it standard in Palco 5, Palco Full Color, Synthesis and Giotto 1500 Range. More and more OEM applications are proving the multitude of benefits in offering a wireless DMX option with their products. In addition to saving time and money, the elimination of excess cable leaves an eco-friendly carbon footprint, which is becoming ever important in all applications.