Zero 88 presented Live from the Congress – a dynamic livestream highlighting the company’s latest technologies in its control, data and power product ranges – announcing that “key products” the ZerOS Server, Splitter 8, Gateway 4 & Gateway 8, Betapack4 and RigSwitch are all “shipping now.”
The 30-minute broadcast was hosted at the Congress Theatre in Cwmbran, the nearest theatre to Zero 88’s manufacturing facility, and was presented by Zero 88 General Manager, David Catterall, supported by Jon Hole, Tyler Holpin and Edward Smith.
Local singer-songwriter Tobias Robertson appeared as a special guest on the livestream, which was broadcast live on Zero 88’s YouTube and Facebook channels. It can subsequently be watched on-demand at zero88.com/event.
Focussing on the three product ranges enabled the team to highlight specific elements like Zero 88’s three-year warranty on all control products, together with the UK manufacturing set up and the vast and diverse range of training opportunities available at zero88.com/training.
This includes a complete array of online training, established as a positive response to learnership during the COVID-19 pandemic. The presentation also emphasised the support work in which Zero 88 has engaged for the National Health Service (NHS) that has included lighting up three local hospitals for the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB).
The company has also participated in the #LightItInRed campaign throughout the summer to draw attention to the live music, events, and performance industry’s need for special sector support from the government during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, some premium installations completed in the last 12 months were detailed, including at the Coca Cola Arena in Dubai and at P&J Live in Aberdeen. The livestream announced that the latest version of ZerOS software has entered its “Public Beta” phase and will be launched officially later in the year, which brings a whole new library to ZerOS, providing detailed control, improved macros, enhanced gobo previews and colour information.
Zero 88 Product Manager, Jon Hole walked viewers through a complete refresh of Zero 88’s networking products made up of Splitter 8, a DMX/RMX splitter that includes a “Fix Switch” – coined as an invaluable “get out of jail free card” for systems with compatibility issues or poorly designed fixtures causing flickering.
Smith examined the new Betapack 4 unit which supports both dimming and hot-power connectivity in a single portable box that can be toured or installed. The new variants include a 15a / 16a mixed and a Neutrik PowerCON TRUE1, together with the ‘classic’ 15a, 16a, Schuko and Swiss options for which Betapack is famous.
Holpin highlighted the usefulness and practicality of RigSwitch, a remote-controlled power switching solution for any size of venue or space. It supports the same button panels, touchscreens, sensors etc. as the ZerOS Server. Along with 8 standard variants, RigSwitch is fully customisable, providing up to 34560 different bespoke configurations. These can be viewed either via the relevant product pages or through a new dedicated manual landing page at www.zero88.com/manuals
Since being shut by the COVID-19 pandemic in March, the company has been transformed its warehouse facility into a streaming studio, with local rental company Green Room Events and Theatre Manager, Martyn Redwood collaborating to generate revenue and keep the venue going. The project has so far proved very popular and the facility has been used by several local artists to stream performances or record new music tracks.
Zero 88’s stream was the first corporate event staged in the pop-up studio. Hole concluded: “Utilising the Congress – which is super convenient and offers excellent facilities – was really heartfelt as it’s a centre of the community here and showcase for local talent that we all want to see continue in that vital role for years to come!”