Pensacola Christian College Transforms Auditorium with All Pro and Elation

Improved lighting turns the Dale Horton Auditorium into a contemporary and dynamic multifunctional space. To achieve this, more than 200 Led equipment of Elation Lighting.

Pensacola Christian College (PCC) in Florida has transformed its Dale Horton Auditorium, thanks to the collaboration of All Pro Integrated Systems and Elation Lighting's LED lighting technology.

This center is celebrating fifty years of service on the Florida peninsula. The Dale Horton Auditorium with seating for 3.500 people, A large multifunctional space that is used for theatrical performances and other special events. The existing lighting in the place, dating from the construction of the building in 1986, lacked dynamic capabilities and needed modernization. All Pro Integrated Systems collaborated with PCC to address specific challenges within the venue and provide a modern, dynamic lighting solution.

All Pro had already carried out an update of the sound system of this auditorium and was now in charge of the integration and management of the lighting renovation, from concept to completion. Justin Schwartz, Design Engineer, All Pro Integrated Systems, He played a key role in the project and explains that the mission was clear: 2replace obsolete conventional luminaires with new automated LED technology, that offers colors, Dynamic Textures and Positioning, while addressing infrastructure challenges specific to each event".

Project realization

As an initial step, All Pro conducted a space assessment, employing a 3D cloud of data points to capture angles, Floor Pitch and Other Essential Details. later, created a full preview presentation with the Capture lighting design software.

subsequently, the Elation representative firm, Freed Sales, provided a large number of accessories for demonstration purposes. One of the key devices examined was the ellipsoidal KL Profile FC, which was later chosen for its performance, in particular its integrated zoom of 6 to 50 Degrees.

"KL Profile FC far outperformed all competitors. We put them on the catwalk and when the technical director saw how easy it was to change the beam angle without having to worry about changing lenses, he was convinced. He loved versatility", Justin explains.

He adds that adjusting the device's color temperature from 2,400K to 8,500K was also a big selling point. “Finding a color temperature that works for this room but with a full color mix and all the dynamics, It's something they've never experienced before”.

Another light from Elation's KL series was selected, the KL PAR FC, to replace the luminaires Pair of white light above the audience at the bottom of the venue. Hidden in the existing cavities in the ceiling, to shine directly on the lower seating area, the full-spectrum KL Par color changers have turned it into an immersive space that extends the atmosphere of the stage to the audience.

“Now the whole area feels like a single space”, Justin adds, noting that the university also plans to use the dynamic color system for other purposes, like in the summer camp where the children are divided according to the color of the team.

Stage lighting

The Dale Horton Auditorium includes several electrical systems on stage, along with two walkways at the bottom. All previously filled with traditional lighting without the possibility of dynamic color changes or visual effects.

The KL Par FC, the Artiste Monet Led Profile Moving Heads and moving panel wash and effect lights Paladin Panel populate the upper beams with KL Profile FC working from the lower beam of the stage. New lighting positions in the form of a side staircase system were added to the stage, along with new lights in hard-to-reach positions, both equipped with KL Profile FC.

On the lower structure of the stage are the full-color Fresnel Led moving heads Fuze Wash 500.

According to Justin, the PCC team was impressed with the Fuze Wash color combination 500 with KL Profile FC and KL Par FC luminaires, giving them complete control over color and contributing to a more cohesive lighting system. All three devices house RGBMA color mixing engines for perfect color matching and Justin adds that they even pair well with the Artiste Monet and its matrix white LED driver SpectraColor CMYRGB.

"For the PCC team, who has only occasionally dealt with color, The degree of control they have over it is truly amazing. When they mark in color, they don't have to match one device to another. Everything seems the same and it has made things much easier for them". In addition to the aerial platform and the first gangway, there are the Prism Wash UV Wash Lights 100 and Prisma Wash 25 by Magmatic Effects, What, according to Justin, come in handy as the venue plans to incorporate more black light/UV glow into its events.

Balcony lights

The main priority for the venue was to replace outdated lighting, But new lighting positions were also necessary to achieve better angles on stage.

"Because of the steep angle from the first catwalk to the stage, they constantly faced problems with face shadows. A solution was found in a balcony-based lighting system with Led moving heads, that offers better angles for the stage", Justin explains.

Kinetic system allows accessories to be added as needed, and the whole system is easily disassembled for maintenance. Moving heads, in white shells to match the roof, are linked to a system that allows complete automatic tracking of performers on stage.

The Dale Horton Auditorium has undergone a remarkable metamorphosis and marks another chapter in the more than 40 All Pro Integrated Systems' years of experience as an audio system integrator, video and lighting. The project was launched with more than 225 Elation luminaires integrated into the space.

Elation Equipment Installed:

• 91 KL Profile FC.
• 84 KL Par FC.
• 16 Fuze Wash 500.
• 12 Paladin Panel.
• 8 Artiste Monet.
• 8 Prisma Wash 100.
• 8 Prisma Wash 25.

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