LD Systems has invested in 32 new Robe iFORTE LTX moving lights, purchased to pair with its existing 14 RoboSpot remote follow spotting control systems.
“The iFORTE LTX is a proper ‘Swiss Army knife of fixtures’ – highly versatile and very robust,” commented LD Systems’ Lighting Operations Manager, Nathan Brittain.
The company already has substantial quantities of other Robe products in its rental inventory which are in constant use on touring, concert, and festival systems as well as special events, spectaculars and one-offs, plus the RoboSpot Systems which up to this point had been working with BMFL LT fixtures.
Brittain explained that they were looking for an IP-rated high-powered moving light, especially for the festival season and the iFORTE ticked all the relevant boxes.
“It’s so much more than just a long throw, with a great zoom range taking it from wide to medium throw, so you can position the light virtually anywhere and it will do a great job,” he confirmed.
LD Systems received the fixtures from Robe North America in time for the 2024 rodeo which they used as a testing ground, with three iFORTE LTXs set up and running on two of their RoboSpot BaseStations. The fixtures were tried in a few different positions around the NRG Stadium to evaluate the throw distances and prove the concept of transitioning to LED worked.
The plan is to implement the full iFORTE LTX / RoboSpot system for the 2025 event, having 16 fixtures covering 12 positions onto the in-the-round stage with throw distances of up to 300 feet, and the shortest being around 230 feet.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo entails lighting 20 major music shows in 20 days with a diverse lineup and some A-list headliners, and 2024’s event also proved a great chance to get feedback on the RoboSpot / LTX system from some visiting LDs.
Since then, the new iFORTE LTXs have been out on a number of other shows and events – including the Two Step Inn festival in Georgetown, Texas, the NCAA March Madness Music Festival in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee.
LD Systems will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025, providing quality professional audio, lighting and video equipment, production services and AV integration products. The company has two main divisions – event production services and audio-visual systems integration.They have been servicing the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with technical elements since the 1980s.
The Robe investments started 11 years ago with the first purchase of Pointes, and Brittain commented that they believe Robe is “at the top of their game” right now. “All the lighting professionals are happy to work with Robe, and the products are also constantly in demand, making them great for cross-rentals,” Brittain concluded.
