The devices are equipped with a way- and a load-measuring system and are being used for both the arena’s video cube and the trusses assigned to the playing area.
As a controller for the chain hoists, a 24-channel Chainmaster ShowTyp II was chosen.
Chainmaster said: “Thanks to the software’s quick ‘teach-in’ procedure and the ease with which users can select from among the various event/service positions (144 Quick Starts), this controller is not only simple to operate but also renders the arena even more versatile, by facilitating the task of reconfiguring it to suit the needs of different events.”
Meanwhile, Chainmaster has provided long-running German TV production Musikantenstadl with an additional 70 BGV-D8 plus 500kg rigging lifts and 10 BGV-D8plus 1,250kg rigging lifts. The chain hoists have been earmarked for mobile use during the show.
Additionally, Chainmaster has designed a VarioLift chain-hoist system for the Chekhov Theatre in Moscow – capable of being used either as a mobile system or a fixed installation. It is built around 12 Chainmaster 250kg VarioLifts, which are capable of speeds up to 35m per minute. For this project, Chainmaster is working in concert with the Rock Stage Agency – its local distribution partner.
The VarioLift came onto the market in 1998 after an 18-month development and test phase. Chainmaster said: “It offers maximum precision and reproducibility in the positioning of chain hoists. The lift is based on an integrated, vector-controlled frequency converter, supplied by a high-impulse incremental encoder and operates with a positional accuracy of 0.2mm.”
VarioLifts were used on U2’s Elevation Tour, the concert tours of Blink 182 as well as Matchbox-20 and the premiere of the film Pearl Harbor. They are recommended for both fixed installation and mobile applications.