Live events company Mad About Video has used Lightware’s MX2 matrix switcher at Teatru Astra in Malta for its performance of Puccini’s Tosca.
For this project, Mad About Video supplied four Epson projectors, two Disguise media servers, one operating as the main playback system and the other running as a backup, and Lightware’s MX2 system for the handling of all signal management, along with OPTJ extenders for long-distance transmission.
The creative brief for the opera called for a complete background projection covering the full upstage wall, complemented by an additional front projector used to layer textures, materials and create artistic effects. The goal was to create moods through visual effects, in turn helping to craft an emotional atmosphere for the performance. Mad About Video developed all video content and the team arrived on site a week before rehearsals to create and assemble the technical environment directly in the theatre.
The system design relied on a Lightware MX2-8x8-HDMI20-L matrix switcher, a 4K60 4:4:4 switcher that supports routing between media servers and projectors, all whilst maintaining image quality. Its HDMI 2.0 support, switching and signal diagnostics grant Mad About Video the control required for a live production environment where visual cues must be triggered without delay and with ultra-low latency.
For long-distance transmission, the Mad About Video team used Lightware's HDMI20-OPTJ-TX90 and RX90 optical transmitter and receiver extenders. These extenders are Lightware’s fibre-optic product, capable of carrying uncompressed 4K60 4:4:4 signals over distances up to 1200 metres. This ability for long-distance transmission was crucial because the front-of-house control position sits around 35 metres from the stage, and the actual cable path extends far beyond that.
