A New Year definately calls for some new products.  Maybe it is a call to the manufacturer to develop a new product (check out Nook's blog: http://www.prolightingspace.com/profiles/blogs/i-want-a-new-light), a call to the designer to use a product that is new to them, a call to the programmer to use a different version of their favorite console or a totally different console altogether, or a call to any tech to check out and investigate a new product.  Answer the unknown phone number who's calling you and maybe it is a call for a new gig!

As far as a new light, i'm anticpating High End's compact, lower lumen output, digital light, the DLV.  (http://www.highend.com/).  Does the V stand for 5?  DL-5?  I do not know, but I think the new product will fill a small gap in our industry.  I do not know if the personality will be the same as DL2/3 or something different altogether.  Maybe the fixture will have a smaller "Axon" inside to drive it, or maybe less layers, or maybe even something better?!?!  I suppose we have to give Robe some credit here (http://www.robe.cz/products/category/digital-series/), as they already make a compact digital light, but prepare for High End's version as they are the creaters of the "Digital Light."

Calling the designers...  It's a new year and why not start off by adding a fixture, one out of your repitore, to your next gig.  Strech just a bit from your comfort zone and see where you find yourself.  You might just like what you find and have a new cool toy.  Or, you might not, but we all must continue to learn, experiment, and try new things.  Work at a rental shop?  Limited to the same fixtures for every show?  Try to find the right client with the right budget and the right gig and subrent some different units. 

For us programmers, MA Lighting, makers of the GrandMA, is releasing in March 2012, the "MA onPC Command Wing."  In other words, it's a usb facepanel to interact with free GrandMA2 software running on a PC.  It is both a programming and playback wing with 2 dmx outputs onboard.  The features of the wing include 2,048 channels, so it seems that the remaining channels are available as ethernet outputs.  The wing also has midi in/out, dmx in, and timecode in.  Check it out (http://wing.malighting.com/maonpcwing.html).  Maybe this new product will provide you access to the GrandMA2 series. 

Another newer product which is exciting is a LED tape with individual addressable LEDs.  Pixel Range (http://www.pixelrangeinc.com/Products/Architectural/FLEX-TAPE/Pixie...) has come out with their flex tape.  Although LED tape is not new, individual addressable LEDs in the tape IS NEW!  This excites me as a programmer.  This calls for a bit more programming and allows us to to express some new lighting ideas!

When will 2012 call you?