The three-day Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival held April 16-18 in Indio, California near Palm Springs used the W-DMX system to achieve otherwise impossible cabling for an event of this size. Coachella is credited as being the first major independent festival of rock, alternative and techno music and is considered a top showcase for indie bands. Muse, De La Soul, Faith No More and even throwbacks from Echo and the Bunnymen to DEVO headlined the festival that included over 130 bands on five stages.

The production company for the site lighting at Coachella was Visions Lighting of Placentia California run by Todd Roberts. The system consisted of a single W-DMX BlackBox S-1 transmitter and 20 receivers controlling 20 7kW Falcon moving lights from A&0. The lights were mounted on 30' towers, surrounding the festival area. An 8dBi omni antenna was at the transmitter, and each receiver had a 24dBi grid antenna. The longest distance was 2,033 feet (620 metres).

Roberts explained: “The W-DMX system worked perfect, this was our third year using it since it’s proven itself at this festival before. But it was a bit more complex this year as AT&T set up a wi-fi grid of 70 antennas around the site which caused interference at first but we were able to work with them so both of us could play along. It was truly outstanding.”

W-DMX by Wireless Solution Sweden AB has become the world standard for wireless DMX, winning awards on both sides of the Atlantic.  W-DMX “outshone the rest” in an independent test (Lighting & Sound International).  Specified with perfect results in high-profile lighting projects everywhere, W-DMX has been used for lighting the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver; the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Headquarters in Kuwait; Andrea Bocelli live at the Colosseum; Times Square in New York City; the Nobel Prize Banquet; the Berlin Wall 20-year Anniversary; and many more.

www.wirelessdmx.com