Comtech, based in Copenhagen, one of Denmark’s leading rental companies decided to invest in new Robe fixtures – Pointes and BMFL Spots – for two consecutive years as they felt that both products brought something new, unique and cool to the market.
The initial purchase, and the company’s first in Robe, was for 40 x Pointes in 2014, which were such a success that in 2015 they made a further investment with 50 x BMFL Spots, which have been equally as well received, explains project manager Jes Christiansen.
Comtech supplies lighting, sound and video to concert tours, festivals and music shows and corporate events of all types in Denmark and internationally and has a great reputation for excellence. “We already carried some other brands and were really looking for something that was genuinely innovative,” explains Jes, talking about the decision to go with Robe, “When the Pointe was launched, that was our cue”.
The Pointes went straight out on tour with Danish rockers Carpark North, where they were enthusiastically specified by LD Johnny Thinggaard. After that, they have been constantly busy on numerous other projects where their light weight, intense brightness and genuine ‘multi-purpose’ functionally – as a spot and a beam – has made them a hit with designers, crew and production managers.
Impressed with the quick ROI and the gathering momentum of Robe as a brand choice by many designers, when they needed a powerful fixture for larger shows, arenas and stadiums … they looked at Robe’s BMFL Spot.
Jes observes that they have seen a massive increase in floor and specials packages for tours in the last two years, and that Pointes and BMFLs are ideal for this – again for the small proportions and massive output. He also remarks that all the designers they have dealt with since buying in to Robe have been happy to use the kit, “The brand has become one of the top three choices in the last couple of years”.
They conducted a shoot-out at their 3000 square metre HQ in the Glostrup area of Copenhagen before committing to the BMFLs.
Apart from the brightness, there were three other criteria where the BMFL massively won out against the competition. Firstly, the three power settings options and then the size of the lens – which emits a fabulous fat beam of light that LDs love, and that is particularly appropriate for the dusk period during outdoor shows … just as the sun is setting and the light fading.
The Scandinavian summer festival season benefit from long daylight hours and a very crisp and pure quality of natural light. Any stage performance during this specific time of the day can be contra-lit with great finesse using the right tools.
The third factor influencing the BMFL decision was the weight – at 36Kg, it is incredibly light for the power and features of the fixture, “We could hardly believe it at the initial BMFL demo,” says Jes.
In addition to all these, he comments that the support from both Robe International and the local distributor Light Partner based in Herning is “Amazing! Any – and I mean ANY – time I call there is always someone there and ready to assist at Light Partner”.
For a busy rental operation like Comtech, this cannot be stressed enough! The innate reliability of Robe has also made it a winner with busy rental operations like Comtech. “The products are built like Russian tanks – virtually indestructible,” says Jes adding with a big smile, “But with fantastic aesthetics!”
Comtech’s engineers and technicians have also received special product training from Robe and Light Partner to ensure they are familiar with the luminaires and the philosophies behind their design and build.
The first batch of 16 of BMFLs went straight out on tour with De Eneste To (The Only Two), collaboration between singer / songwriter Peter Sommer and Simon Kvam from rock band Nephew, lit by John “Skeg” Hedegaard. Immediately after that, Johnny Thingaard took them on Carpark North’s summer 2015 tour …. At which point Jes and the team realised they needed more fixtures … and bumped the count up to 50 which featured on four other major summer tours.
Several major projects in 2016 are already confirmed and being planned to use BMFLs … So we will be hearing a lot more of Comtech!
Watch this space!
Photo: Louise Stickland
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