SOUTHAMPTON, UK – Flashback to the summer of 2018. ChamSys has introduced its new QuickQ series of consoles, one of which (The QuickQ20) would go on to win New Products Award at WFx. 

During the rollout, the official announcement from ChamSys promised that its new consoles would “put more powerful lighting control in the hands of students, theatre/house of worship volunteers, and programmers, regardless of experience level or budget.” It then added that  “even established professionals will find the quick and easy console to be a valuable tool for running smaller-scale shows.”

The same promise still applies today, as ChamSys introduces its new QuickQ+ Range of consoles. Same promise? Yes, but now backed up with a new level of technological prowess that was barely imaginable eight years ago. 

Thanks to this technology, the five next-gen ChamSys Quick products that are being introduced today are faster and smarter than anything that came before them, giving users of all experience levels more creative capacity, stronger reliability, and a clearer path to larger productions and installations.

“QuickQ+ is about giving users more room to grow—more universes, more responsive operation, and more dependable hardware—while preserving the straightforward workflow that made QuickQ popular,” said James Harrison ChamSys Product and Support Manager “Every QuickQ+ model features increased processing power, and a larger 11.6-inch touchscreen for smoother operation and easier programming. In essence, there is now more creative freedom across the range.” 

The five products in the QuickQ + series are:

• QuickQ 10+ — Offers one universe; 20 multifunction faders; cue-stack and chase playback control.
• QuickQ 20+ — Features four universes; 20 multifunction faders, 10 playback faders, four attribute encoders, and two physical DMX outputs.
• QuickQ 30+ — Offers an impressive six universes; 40 multifunction faders, 10 playback faders, four attribute encoders, and four physical DMX outputs.
• QuickQ Studio+ — The breakthrough product has four universes, 19-inch rack/desktop format with reversable rack ears,10 playback faders, four 10Scene ports, two physical DMX outputs.
• QuickQ Rack+ — has six universes along with 1U 19-inch rack format, ten scene buttons, and a rack-friendly form factor for permanent installations.

Speaking of the QuickQ Studio model, Harrison noted: “The new QuickQ Studio+ model also extends the QuickQ range into studio, installation, hospitality, worship, and AV applications. It will excel in studios, hospitality venues, houses of worship, and fixed AV environments.”

All products in the QuickQ+ Series were designed with real-word us in mind, which is one reason why they have an internal Wi‑Fi antenna, a locking power-supply connector, and dual network ports to make them more dependable in live and installed environments.

Everyone wanting to upgrade to the QuickQ+ range will be able to do so seamlessly. Existing QuickQ show files remain compatible, enabling customers to gain increased capability without retraining or reprogramming. After all, QuickQ+ was designed to make it easy, giving lighting professionals more control without added complexity. That same promise made in 2018 hasn’t changed… but the technology behind it has come a very, very long way.

Echternach, Luxembourg – Chance encounters! No one expects them to have any lasting effect… but every once in a while, they surprise us. Such was the case years ago when Martin Dudley set out to light a Christmas show. 

There, another lighting company was also working on the same event. Dudley struck up a conversation with the technician who was working on that show.  As they spoke, the tech told Dudley about a new lighting console he was in the process of developing.

The man turned out to be Chris Kennedy, who would go on to cofound ChamSys. Fast forward a few more years when Dudley found himself in need of a new, more versatile console. He turned to the tech from that Christmas show and became a ChamSys user. He hasn’t looked back in since.

“That was 15 years ago this summer,” recalled Dudley. “Now that I am celebrating an anniversary of sorts with ChamSys, I’m still very happy with my decision. The big things that about ChamSys that have really helped me over the years are simplicity of programming, portability, and the great technical support when needed.”

Chance crossed Dudley’s path again this summer as he was celebrating his “ChamSys Anniversary.”  Though this encounter was not nearly as monumental, its effect had some beautiful consequences. Lighting James Morrison when the Brit Award winner headlined the Echterlive Festival in Luxembourg, Dudley unexpectedly encountered a stage with a transparent dome.

The stage offered a captivating setting with its elegant symmetry and clear view of the 18th century buildings in Echternach’s historic Abbey Courtyard. It was an idyllic setting for an outdoor festival featuring a singer with the raspy soulful vibrato of James Morrison. But it was not 100-percent what Dudley was anticipating. 

“I didn’t deliberately set out to accentuate the dome structure, although the shape of the structure perhaps complemented some of my looks,’” said Dudley. “We didn’t even know that the stage covering was transparent until we arrived at the festival, but that allowed me to incorporate the lighting on the building behind the stage into my show.”

At the Echterlive Festival, Dudley came equipped with some familiar tools: the ChamSys Compact Connect, Extra Wing and a laptop PC. “I always take the Compact Connect, and the touchscreen laptop PC, as carry-on baggage, so that if the Extra Wing, as check-in baggage, doesn’t arrive at the same time as us, I can still do a show,” he said. “I run the main show with a cue stack on a playback fader per song on the Compact Connect, and I like to have all my front light, crowd blinders, haze/smoke, and other stuff I need available  to grab quickly on the Extra Wing.”

Dudley drew on some familiar advantages of his ChamSys when lighting James Morrison at the festival. “It all starts with simplicity,” he said. “I’ve yet to make the jump to group cues (but soon!)  so, I like the simple cloning and morphing of fixtures. I like how quick it is to add in more and different fixtures to my show and generate new FX.  This matters, because every festival has a different set of LED panels/battens/blinders to incorporate into the show. It’s also very quick and easy to get connected to festival lighting systems via network connections. I’m a big fan of the network port on the Compact Connect, so I no longer have to hope that a USB to Ethernet adapter doesn’t disconnect itself halfway through the show. The locking USB connection on the latest Compact Connects is great too!”

As for James Morrison’s show itself, it came off beautifully under the transparent dome with Dudley’s lighting providing a seamlessly supportive setting for his client’s music… something he has done with grace and style on his ChamSys desk for years and is likely to do for many more years to come.