UK-based tech provider SLX was awarded the tender for supplying broadcast lighting and rigging across a range of venues at the Paris Games this past summer and chose Obsidian NETRON data distribution devices as the backbone of its data management strategy.
"We needed a system that was rock solid and could keep us going in case of critical failure," stated Russell Payne, Managing Director at SLX. "We were looking for something that we could use not only for the Games but something that could go into our business for the long run. Stability was important, but also availability and return on investment."
While evaluating available signal distribution products, SLX technicians and engineers took some NETRON devices to the SLX facility in Bristol for extensive testing. "We ran them through their paces, stressing them with large amounts of data and absolutely hammered them!" he said. "But we couldn't make them fail. Based on that, we decided to put them into Paris, and they didn't fail there either. You have an athlete who has trained all their life for this moment and the last thing you want is for the lighting to fail. That's why we did so much testing."
SLX has worked on large-scale sporting events in the past, such as the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and knows what it takes to tailor a lighting system to the specific requirements of each sport and venue. In Paris, SLX was responsible for lighting across both internal and external venues, each with its own unique requirements, all of which took meticulous planning.
SLX's mission was to provide athletes, spectators, and global media with the high-quality lighting required to capture the defining moments of these extraordinary events, alongside managing the comprehensive rigging requirements for lighting, audio, screens, technology and flags. SLX worked across 29 venues in Paris, including some of the most iconic locations of the event from Stade de France to the Aquatics Centre and La Défense Arena.
"We had to meet the sporting federations' lighting requirements, the broadcaster's lighting requirements, we had to light for the audience, and we had to light for the athletes, and none of those four requirements get on with each other. For example, where the broadcaster wants the light for camera, the athlete doesn't. Every single venue required a complex design, and we were also limited by the architectural design of each building. It's a complicated process."
Though complex, the challenge was one that SLX tackled successfully. The project demanded a substantial hardware investment, including NETRON nodes for signal distribution-such as the NS8 network switch, EN12 and EN4 Ethernet to DMX gateways, and the RDM 6XL DMX/RDM splitter. Beyond the Games, the equipment provides SLX with a robust solution for data management in their projects going forward.
"The NETRON gear provides us with a versatile and robust solution for managing complex networked lighting systems," said Payne. "Their onboard presets and menus make them easy to use and the CLU setup and configuration software was easy to navigate and extremely useful in managing the system. The build quality is also first-rate with Ethercon ports and secure connections."
Show critical devices that operate behind the scenes, like NETRON, give SLX the confidence to deliver technical yet reliable lighting systems under the scrutiny of a global audience. Summing up the Paris Games experience, Payne concludes, "It was fantastic! How often do you get to deliver the biggest show in the world."
Photos courtesy of SLX
