Keeping up with a hectic workload across all companies, Blackburn-based lighting and video rental specialist, the HSL Group has again increased its investment spend to keep up to speed with the newest technologies.
This will help ongoing service along with upcoming projects across all sectors; rental & staging, theatre, television, sporting events and concert touring. “The rapid pace at which the technology is changing and the fact we want to keep ahead of the game is driving this, together with an increase in demand. It’s vital that we can continue offering our clients the very best options for all of their shows, events and creative projects,” commented HSL’s Simon Stuart.
Fixtures like the Robe MegaPointe and the Martin MAC Encore have really made their mark, together with products from GLP, SGM and Vari*lite. Other top brands on the recent HSL shopping list have included Claypaky and Solaris. These choices have been influenced by specific LD requests as well as what the HSL management team considers are the best and most practical solutions for the company. Audio purchases have included MAC Encore Performances, in both warm and cool white versions, which have been busy on a variety of theatre and performing arts shows, including Macbeth at the National Theatre.
Many of these versatile luminaires also serviced multiple productions during HSL’s bumper 2017-18 panto season, with 31 different shows up and down the country! Stuart stated: “Even with all the recent changes in the Martin infrastructure, it’s great to still receive excellent customer support and see first-hand that the products are still in high demand, which is exactly what you want to underline a serious investment like this”.
In addition to the Encore Performances, with more on the cards soon, HSL has invested in MAC Quantum Washes, Axioms and Auras, and added a ‘shed pile’ of Rush PAR RGBW Zooms to the inventory for the first time. Multifunctional is trending, and Robe’s MegaPointe is very much the fixture of the moment, so it was a ‘no-brainer’ to invest in these which have been purchased across the HSL Group for immediate use by HSL out of Blackburn and Southampton based rental operation, GLS.
More Robe Pixel PATTs have been sourced as they are a firm favourite among the television LDs with whom HSL regularly works, as well as for dance events and concert tours. More Vari*Lite 6Ks have been bought, on top of the 100 plus that is out on Depeche Mode’s ‘Global Spirit’ tour, for which HSL is the worldwide lighting contractor. Also from Philips’ Showline range, over 50 SL LEDSPOT 300s join HSL’s stock together with another 50 SL HYDRUS 350s, which are another hybrid beam, spot and wash fixture which has been very well received.
From GLP, the numbers of Impression X4 Bar 10 and X4 Bar 20s have been boosted. These high-performance batten fixtures have proved popular for a variety of applications. GLS has led the way with buying more JDC1 strobes, a unique unit with a traditional single tube element with a clear, bright white output combined with a full face surround of 1.320 RGB LEDs.
HSL has also added substantial quantities of Solaris Flare Q+S to the stock in Blackburn. With this, and another substantial investment in a concert touring LED screen with all the necessary peripherals, it’s been a bumper few months!
HSL’s new flight-case making company PackItRackItStackIt has had to up the ante to deal with the sheer volume of new kit arriving and needing to be made road-ready, so a new CNC machine has been installed to meet the demands for quality cases. Commenting on this new company, Stuart enthused: “It makes complete sense for us to have our own case company. We can produce cool, inventive and bespoke creations when needed as well as all the standard ranges. While they are full on right now with all our own projects, we are planning to broaden the scope and open up other commercial opportunities”.