
(15/02/2014) Manchester based lighting and rigging specialist dbn has designed, supplied and installed a highly effective production lighting rig for the Albert Hall in Manchester a fabulous new 2000 capacity venue in a charismatic former Methodist meeting hall dating back to 1910 in the heart of the city.
The stunning space original features including double height windows with stained glass detail and a magnificent organ fully renovated with pipes left exposed - has been lovingly restored to its former splendour and opened as Manchester's newest and coolest live music and event space by independent owners Trof.
Trof have a penchant for discovering found spaces and turning them into buzzing entertainment hubs, and the Albert Hall is no exception as it gears up for full operation with promoters and private clients clamouring to book it for bands, comedy and cabaret shows, club nights, parties and corporate events.
dbn's Stephen Page has worked on other Trof projects and was delighted to be asked to create a house lighting design for the Albert Hall.
Having the chance to work in such a fabulous space was incredible enough,' he declares, Trof always put production values at the top of the agenda, and my challenge was to come up with a design that compliments the amazing architecture and is harmonious with the environment as well as working well for the wide variety of events that the Hall will be hosting .
The weight loading in the roof of the historic building is restricted, so dbn specified and installed a series of Slick OV40 spreader trusses with a particular strength to weight ratio, to create a more flexible rigging arrangement and maximise usable capacity.
Lift-Turn-Move's LoadGuard hoists are used throughout. These Category A motors are certified to operate without needing additional safeties, essential as roof access is difficult given the height and construction of the Hall. The motors are top hung and LTM have down-rated the clutches to further protect against overloading of the roof structure.
There are two lighting trusses above the stage, a 12 metre one at the front and a 9 metre one further back upstage .. leaving the organ pipes as the backdrop.
The back truss is rigged with six Clay Paky Sharpies, four Robe ROBIN LEDWash 600s, six Martin Atomic strobes and 12 x Showtec Sunstrips. These are all hung on six drop bars at three different lengths, longest offstage and the shortest onstage in a mirrored configuration.
This flourish of ingenuity with the positioning adds an enormous amount of depth to the whole space, it amplifies the size of the lighting rig and also increases the scope of where the different fixtures can be focused.
On the front truss are another four LEDWash 600s and four CP Alpha Wash 575s which provide for further effects, front and key lighting.
For control, Page specified an Avolites Tiger Touch, and dbn also supply any extras or specials as required by the different artists.
The less-is-more approach brings real clarity to the rig and more than enough lighting dynamics for the event in hand be it a band, a stand-up comedian or a banging club night. The units have been thoughtfully selected to offer both the house lighting operators from dbn and also any touring / guest LDs plenty of options, and the whole system has been carefully installed so as to maximise impact whilst working with the space and structure of the building.
Currently dbn's Chris Phillips is overseeing everything day-to-day on site.
A small lighting system has also been integrated into the bar / restaurant and smaller performance space downstairs.
dbn looked out six of their original 1990s High End Trackspots they still have a closely guarded stash, treated with reverential amounts of TLC - and they are still going strong after nearly 20 years of active service. These are hooked in to a special analogue controller plus there are a couple of strobes for general use, but the system can easily be reconfigured with a console added when operators are required
They are still a great fixture with a proper choreographed sound to light function which has never been bettered! states Page, adding that the lamp also gives the trackspot a unique colour rendition compared to more modern discharge or LED fixtures.
Their high vintage value also hits the aesthetic button for blending classic and contemporary elements which permeates the renovated Albert Hall a venue with a past looking to the very bright future.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
08/01/2026
An evidence-based analysis on disinformation and information manipulation in Sudan's ongoing conflict is published today. (January 8th 2026).
Thomson Found...
08/01/2026
At CFP Semifinals, ESPN Again Flexes Its Operational Muscle With 20+ MegaCast Vi...
08/01/2026
SVG Students To Watch: Sophie Fowler, University of OregonThe Portland product has honed her skills as a producer, director, and TD at Quack VideoBy Brandon Cos...
08/01/2026
Follow the Money, Episode 3: Inside the Sports-Media Biz With Sam McCleery and K...
08/01/2026
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Qualstar's Jeff Sengpiehl on the Enduring Power a...
08/01/2026
Legendary February: Production Leaders at NBC Sports Pull Back the Curtain on Ol...
08/01/2026
In 2025 we launched the Spotify Partner Program to give creators more ways to tu...
08/01/2026
On Wednesday in Los Angeles, Spotify welcomed creators and press to a brunch cel...
08/01/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today announced several updates to its Board of Directors. As part of HPA's annual governance cycle, new leader...
08/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
08/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
08/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
08/01/2026
Spain's national public broadcaster, RTVE, has upgraded one of its main television production facilities in Madrid with the installation of two Alfalite NEO...
08/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
08/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
08/01/2026
Maxon's new release of Cinebench features performance enhancements and adds support for the latest Nvidia and AMD GPUs as well as Apple Silicon.
Maxon is t...
08/01/2026
Zixi, the industry leader in IP-based video transport and orchestration, today announced the appointment of Heather Mellish as Vice President, Global Sales.
In...
08/01/2026
Pebble, the leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, has provided a complete update of its installation at Canal Sur in Spain. ...
08/01/2026
iWedia, a global leader in software solutions for connected TV devices, proudly announces the success of its collaboration with Panasonic on the Z95B OLED TV, o...
08/01/2026
Secuoya Chile, a leading provider of television content creation and supporting services, has invested in Ikegami UHK-X600 and UHL-X40 broadcast cameras as the ...
08/01/2026
Kiloview, a global leader in AV-over-IP solutions, will showcase its latest innovations at ISE 2026, highlighting the continued evolution of its complete, light...
08/01/2026
iWedia, a global leader in software solutions for connected TV devices, and Realtek, a leading global SoC design house, today announced the next phase of their ...
08/01/2026
CJP Broadcast has completed a new pitch-side media installation for Cinderford RFC, creating a flexible production setup that supports match coverage, coaching ...
08/01/2026
PlayBox Neo further drives momentum in Playout, Streaming, Media Management and Delivery
"With a brand new year at PlayBox Neo already off to a flying start, I...
08/01/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Presents Second Annual Commercial Dance BFA Conce...
08/01/2026
TSA awards Rohde & Schwarz contract for advanced airport screening ahead of Socc...
08/01/2026
Back to All News
New Korean Series Beauty in the Beast' (WT) in Production...
08/01/2026
The review looks back at DPA's miniature microphone development over the years. It compares the evolving technologies from the original mics through CORE an...
08/01/2026
Comscore Launches Audio Targeting and Measurement Capabilities with The Trade De...
08/01/2026
Tonight, on RT Prime Time at 9:35pm on RT One and RT Player
Tonight, Prime T...
08/01/2026
The Late Late Show celebrates the very best of traditional Irish music with its first-ever full special dedicated entirely to the tradition
Lisa Canny | Kevin...
08/01/2026
The next universal technology since the smartphone is on the horizon - and it ma...
08/01/2026
In the rolling hills of Berkeley, California, an AI agent is supporting high-stakes physics experiments at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) particle accelerator....
08/01/2026
It will be murder on the dancefloor when Dancing with the Stars returns this S...
08/01/2026
NVIDIA is wrapping up a big week at the CES trade show with a set of GeForce NOW...
07/01/2026
SVG Summit 2025: All General Sessions Now Available To Watch on SVG PLAYThe SVG Summit celebrated its 20th edition with a loaded agendaBy Brandon Costa, Directo...
07/01/2026
NBCU's Brings Rinkside Live' and Courtside Live' Features to Peaco...
07/01/2026
Spotify is launching a week-long celebration spotlighting creators at the center...
07/01/2026
We know people use Spotify not just to listen, but to share the songs, podcasts, and audiobooks they love with their friends and family. When we launched Messag...
07/01/2026
This week, all eyes are on the podcast industry as the Golden Globes recognizes ...
07/01/2026
Podcasts are stepping onto a new stage this week as the Golden Globes recognize the medium for the first time. To mark this milestone moment, we're hosting ...
07/01/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in collaboration with a distributor, is commissioning new micro-budget fiction feature films and invites eligible...
07/01/2026
NASA's Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft launches on the Artemis I flight test, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, from Launch Complex 39B at ...
07/01/2026
For the first time ever, new C' variants allow international users to interoperate with U.S. personnel via NSA-certified cryptography....
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...