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Clearwing Transforms Pinnacle High School Theatre with State-of-the-Art Audio, Lighting, Video, and Rigging

Written by Jay Baumgardner | January 8, 2025 at 8:32 PM

Chasse Building and Paradise Valley Unified School District again hired Clearwing to renovate another high school.  Pinnacle, the third in the district to be renovated with Clearwing’s assistance, needed a refresh and current technology to match the venues at North Canyon and Shadow Mountain.

To begin, the existing orchestra shell was removed along with the entire counterweight rigging system - only the T-track and running rail remained in place.  Four counterweight sets were reinstalled for teaching purposes along with twenty-four ETC Prodigy hoists installed for the rest of the system.  An ETC Foundation controller was installed at the running rail for control with a back of house monitor displaying the camera stage shot nearby.  The wired remote system was also installed to allow for an operator to walk around the stage to view the battens dropping in.  

The existing ETC lighting system was upgraded by reusing the Sensor racks, deploying one new Echo relay panel and switching out Unison for Paradigm.  A full network was installed to allow the end user to have separate universes at each location.  The fixture package changed to fully LED, including the dimmable house lights.

The audio and video systems were a substantial upgrade with QSYS in charge of combining and controlling all the sources and destinations.  Touch screen control is located onstage, in the lower control booth as well as the upper booth which houses the racks, the existing Hitachi projector and new camera.  The upper booth feeds into the two side pods that can be separated with air walls and controlled individually inside each pod, or in the upper booth.  Monitors and speakers in the Lobby provide for late comers or pre-show announcements while speakers in back of house spaces provide for performer listening.  L-Acoustics cabinets and subs provide even coverage over the space, including the front rows and the upper pod seating alongside a Listen Technologies assisted listening system.  Christie projection fills the cyc using the onboard edge blending settings providing for digital scenery.

Lighting Equipment:

  • ETC Sensor CEM 3 Upgrades
  • ETC Paradigm Architectural System
  • ETC Ion XE 20 Console
  • ETC Network Infrastructure
  • Altman LED Work Lights
  • Chauvet Fixture Package – Ellipsoidals, Pars, Cycs and Movers

Rigging Equipment:

  • 12 ETC EXO Hoist Frames on Stage Right
  • 12 ETC P1 Hoist Frames on Stage Left
  • ETC Foundation Rigging Controller with Remote and E-Stops
  • 4 Sightline Commercial Solutions Shell Ceilings with ETC ColorSource Pearl Pars
  • 1 Sightline Commercial Solutions Rear Flown Wall
  • 6 Sightline Commercial Solutions Shell Towers
  • 4 Counterweight Line Sets

Video Equipment:

  • 2 Christie Digital Projectors for Rear Pods
  • 2 Christie Digital Projectors for Edge Blending on the Cyc
  • 2 Draper Ceiling Recessed Projection Screens
  • 1 Draper Flown StageScreen
  • 1 Panasonic PTZ Camera
  • Visionary Solutions AV over IP Distribution

Audio Equipment:

  • 6 L-Acoustics A Series Cabinets
  • 4 L-Acoustics KS21i Subwoofers
  • 15 L-Acoustics X Series for Front Fills, Delays, Center Fill and Stage Monitors
  • 5 L-Acoustics LA4X Amplifiers
  • QSC QSYS Control System
  • Shure ULXD Wireless Systems
  • LEA Professional Amplifiers
  • SoundTube Ceiling Speakers
  • K-Array Lobby Speakers
  • Listen ALS System