First ETC ColorSource ThruPower installed at Arnolfini arts center

A contemporary arts center in Bristol has become the first venue in Europe to install the new ETC ColorSource™ ThruPower system, which launched at the beginning of the year. The Arnolfini, which is located in a former tea warehouse dating from the 1830s, hosts regular live theater events, as well as film, dance and university shows, and is also used by drama students at the University of the West of England. So it was important to future-proof the venue when their previous dimmers came to the end of their life.

Nick Ewins, managing director at ETC dealer Push the Button, explains: "We had been working with ETC's Graham Parker and Jeremy Roberts to install a beta test site for ColorSource ThruPower, so we knew it would soon be available for the Arnolfini."

During a three-week shutdown at the end of last year, Push the Button installed six 24-channel power control racks, giving them, as Nick points out, functionalities that they never thought they'd be able to afford. Every channel of ColorSource ThruPower is able to operate in either switched or dim mode, perfect for a rig which, at the moment, is entirely tungsten, but is likely to be upgraded soon to include intelligent and LED fixtures.

The product family was developed for tight budgets, and includes the ColorSource consoles , ColorSource® PAR and Spot luminaires , as well as the ColorSource Relay products, which enable power control for hard-to-reach fixtures.

Buildings & Facilities Manager Nick Dixon says: "We realize we're a small customer with our 210-seat auditorium, so we were pleased that ETC could achieve the right match of product to the right end user. Future-proofing is the right way to go, giving us increased flexibility for the months and years to come. The whole system looks fantastic, and all the products arrived on time, fit easily and look smart. The new power system takes much less physical space than before, and even the new ETC Element control desk takes up less room than we used to need."

ETC ColorSource ThruPower circuits are able to instantly switch between relay and dimming, either by using the front button panel, or using Remote Device Management (RDM) on the control desk. Extra functionality can be achieved by connecting the ColorSource ThruPower rack to other control devices, such as ETC Unison Mosaic® or Unison Echo® control.

Dixon concludes: "Our technician took to using the new kit so quickly that we didn't need any down time in the schedule at all. Events, conferences, lectures and drama performances have all gone without a hitch."

Photos courtesy of Andy Phillips. 

Please note: ColorSource ThruPower is not available in North America.