Making Tracks. technicalfocus. LSi looks at theatrical curtain track systems...

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1 technicalfocus Making Tracks LSi looks at theatrical curtain track systems... Hogging the limelight, taking centre stage before a headline artist has even graced the boards... But you might be forgiven for not even noticing the focal point of many venues the world over, the humble house tabs... by Chris Henry Tabs derives from the term tableau curtains, curtains which were often drawn back and up to reveal a scene, and dates as far back as the 1880s. Audiences over the decades have come to expect to be greeted by the glow of the tab warmers - lights gently illuminating the plush rich red velvet curtains adorning a proscenium arch, in anticipation of the evening s entertainment. Indeed, most venues will have a curtain to mask the stage when a performance is not in progress, but there are many other requirements and functions for today s theatrical curtain. A curtain can be used to enhance drama and spectacle, or perhaps its primary function might be for fire safety. Some drapes are required in a venue to define a physical boundary, for example using a curved track to circumnavigate a space to form a perimeter, common in drama or dance studios. Perhaps a curtain might serve to reduce echo and reverb, improving the audio experience, or maybe it offers a blackout solution. But for so many venues, the requirement for its curtain and subsequently its track system, is multi-functional - a workhorse system fulfilling many roles. The requirements of a track system will in itself define which particular model or solution will best suit the application. Primary considerations are the size and the weight of the curtain: it might not even be curtain that is required to track, but rather a set-piece or video screen. Size and weight will instantly rule out, or rule in, particular track systems. Secondary considerations must surely be structural and aesthetic. What is the track mounting on to? What are the angles of the track? What will the track look like in the space? Does it need to be recessed? And so on and so forth. Operation is perhaps a later consideration; does the track system need to be manually operated or electrically? Does it need to be DMX controllable via the lighting console etc? Several off-the-shelf products and bolt-ons are available to facilitate this, so sophisticated systems are becoming accessible to even the smallest of venues and budgets. So let s point the tab warmers on the curtain tracks currently on the market, and look at some of the functions they fulfil. ADC USA-based manufacturer ADC (Automatic Devices Company) has been supplying the industry since 1919, and offers an almost mind-boggling range of curtain tracks, components, lift systems, machines and control systems. From mega-heavy duty to the lightweights of the curtain world, ADC has a range for every application you could imagine. Silent Steel is a key product in ADC s heavy duty stage track range and can 88

2 technicalfocus accommodate heavy straight curtains of almost any length. In its medium-duty range is Besteel, suitable for medium or light-weight straight curtains. Both can be suspended or ceiling-mounted, or supplied with a pipe-backbone. For architectural solutions Models 113 Specifine and 220 Trak-Eze are intended for straight curtains and have the advantage of being recessed, surfacemounted, or suspended, with the cord within the track. These systems are low profile tracks but also offer high load capabilities. If you need to bend it like Beckham, then the versatility of the Model 140 Rig-I-Flex and Model 132 Flex-I-trac series allows for both curved and straight systems. These tracks can be easily curved in the field or can be supplied factory curved to customer specification. These can be cord operated up to 18m in length and walk-along operated to almost any length. The Model 500 Patriarc is one of ADC s heavy duty curtain track system but despite its size, it is one of the quietest and easiest operating tracks in the ADC range. Above : ADC s heavy duty Model 500 system. ADC offers multiple-stop, low voltage and variable speed control options for all their machines right up to colour touch screen operator interfaces. ADC s LS-1 and LS-2 LogiStop multiple-stop controllers can provide up to 20 easily programmable positions. The Model LS-1 is DMXable and the preset stops can be easily assigned to the lighting desk. Doughty Engineering The latest curtain track product from Doughty, Doughty Rail, was launched at Frankfurt s Prolight+Sound back in April, and offers a solution to venues where space is tight. This compact extruded aluminium curtain rail system has walkalong operation, and each ball runner has a SWL of 6kg. Available in straight lengths from one to three metres and four metre radius curves, Doughty Rail has a range of brackets enabling the rail to be suspended in most situations. The longest established track in the range is Doughty s Six Track - a modular aluminium track system suitable for a range of stage and studio applications. Six Track is fabricated using a tubular steel top hanging rail and rectangular section tube rails making it strong, durable and easy to install. Again, it is available in straights up to three metres and a selection of curves, with custom curves and straights available for manufacture to order. Adaptor plates allow the track to be cut to length on site if necessary. Six Track can be walkalong, corded or motorised control. 89

3 technicalfocus This page, from top: The Doughty Six-Track; the Doughty Rail; and Doughty Studio Rail. Studio Rail is an extruded aluminium walkalong rail that has been designed mainly as an overhead studio rail system but is equally suitable for curtains. The great thing with this system is that we manufacture a wide range of friction braked carriages that are perfect for carrying lights, screens or even scenery, so it is extremely versatile, says Laurence Dyer of Doughty UK. Available in two sizes and finishes, natural aluminium or black anodised. Gerriets Gerriets is known for its stage machinery products as well as fabrics and soft goods for theatres and opera houses around the world. Its metal workshop in Umkirch, Germany, features CNC milling machines and other metal fabrication facilities, and the company works closely with engineers and project managers to custom-build track systems, and modify Gerriets products, to meet specific requirements. Gerriets track systems cover a variety of applications, from the TRUMPF walk-along track for loads of 60kg, through to CARGO XL, which is capable of carrying loads of up to 1200kg. Another product of note is Gerriets STRATUS Festoon system, a vertically motorised curtain system which can work with a range of fabrics. This system was recently installed at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, a cultural centre in Paris designed by architect Frank Gehry to resemble a glass cloud. The building s form is provided by 12 curving glass-paneled sails, with a complex 15m x 14m Gerriets track designed to follow the contour of the façade. standards save. Would you rather: Triple E celebrates 30 years producing award winning curtain tracks. See us at Spend two months scaling the building to assign a DMX address for each light? -or- BRUSSELS 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2014 GLASGOW 2-3 DECEMBER, 2014 Spend two hours and do it while sitting across the street? Save time and money with ANSI E Remote Device Management over DMX512. Visit tsp.plasa.org to learn more. Visit for more information make life easier Burj Qatar 90

4 Over 1.5km of Gerriets FENCE Scissor Tracks have been installed in the last decade in venues across the world, including the Bolshoi in Moscow. FENCE tracks allow for the designed fullness of a curtain to be maintained during both its opening and closing. New to Gerriets range is its CUE-TRACK 2 system which works on a continuous chain to ensure accurate positioning at fixed or variable speeds. CUE-TRACK 2 is often used for main curtains with a tight stacking area, and in blackout and room dividing systems. It is very compact in size and can be mounted horizontally, vertically or in angular positions. technicalfocus Hall Stage Established in 1898 by George Hall, Hall Stage makes steel curtain tracking systems for any application, and for any material. Having originally started as a chandlery supplier for canal boats and transport ships rigging, Hall may have been well known to early stage crews, who were often recruited from among mariners for their knowledge of rope-work and rigging. Today, as well as track fabrication, the company offers bespoke design services, installation, maintenance and certification of general stage engineering systems. Above: Gerriets FENCE Scissor Track. The track pictured in Hall stage s 1920s catalogue is the predecessor to the modern day T70. T70 falls in the heavy duty end of the range, and is aimed at large venues or systems where heavy or long curtains are required. Current projects include film productions underway at Pinewood and Shepperton Studios. Market demand in the 1950s led to the lighter Anglia track, today s T60 system, which can be manufactured to meet any configuration. Estimates suggest that over 1000 miles of T60 and T70 track has been manufactured and installed over the past 50 years, and the company continues to maintain systems built in the 1930s and still in use today. Recent developments include the new Chaindrive system which motorises heavy drapes, scenery and screens, and a current project sees a T70 Chaindrive installed to move a 500kg LED screen. J&C Joel Limited Specialist manufacturers and suppliers of performance and entertainment industries Motorised Tracks ~ Corded Tracks Walkalong Tracks ~ Custom Tracking Solutions Mechanical Solutions ~ Studio Engineering Bespoke Fabrication ~ Power Flying Stage Lifts ~ Pilewind Winches Truss ~ Acoustic Solutions Rigging ~ Starcloths Flame Retardant Fabric ~ Staging Standard and Bespoke Drapery Flooring ~ Projection Screens Digital Printing ~ Rosco Scenic Products t: +44 (0) e: sales@jcjoel.com Follow us: United Kingdom ~ Netherlands ~ South Africa ~ United Arab Emirates ~ Macau ~ Hong Kong 91

5 technicalfocus Above: Chaindrive system from Hall Stage. Right: Estimates suggest that over 1000 miles of Hall Stage s T60 (top) and T70 (bottom) track has been manufactured and installed over the past 50 years. The new DGC Capstan winch will launch at London s PLASA show in October and offers a powered Dynema hauling line option, which can be retro-fitted to any existing Hall Track installation. Also new is Hall Stage s Track Price app launched at the ABTT Trade Show in June, which allows detailed cost calculations for thousands of track configurations. ShowTex The nuts and bolts are crucial to any installation, but one look at the ShowTex website demonstrates the artistic flare behind the brand. From velvet drapes, projection surfaces, printed and laser-cut backdrops and glassless mirrors, to the latest technology in curtain motion systems, tracks for every weight of drape, Kabuki drops and roll ups - ShowTex has a lot to offer a production. Above: ShowTrack, from ShowTex, is an I-beam track for very heavy curtains. Rail H100 is a good all-rounder for ShowTex as a budget-friendly, multifunctional product, suitable for medium- to heavy-duty curtains. A sturdier version of the H100 is ShowPipe, which is easy to assemble and fast to rig. ShowPipe slides into 50mm aluminium tubes and can be integrated into systems. ShowTrack is an I-beam track for very heavy curtains. The beams come in 6m lengths and can be custom curved. ShowTex s ChainTrack combines its ShowTrack with double chain installation allowing for multi-directional curtain or set piece movement and sharp turns of up to 180 degrees in as little as a 5cm radius. Left: ShowTex s ChainTrack with double chain installation. ShowTex s ultra-silent ball raced Scenery Carriers come in different capacity levels. The new Heavy Load Scenery Carrier has been developed for weights from 100kg up to 350kg and can be attached to the chain of the ChainTrack with a comb connector. The carriers can be joined together and are equipped with an emergency release system. All ShowTex systems can be manually-, rope- or motor-operated and DMXcontrolled. Its Track Motor Control Range facilitates motion and positioning of set pieces or stage curtains on a motorised operating line threaded track system. All Track Motor Control systems are equipped with a remote control with open/close switch and speed controller. The operating line and head pulley guarantee maximum grip for accurate movement and the speed controller allows for fast motion with a fixed or variable speed. Basic track movement can now also be controlled with the new Radio Remote Control, consisting of a transmitter and a receiver. Stage Track Since 1994 Stage-Track has been supplying curtain track systems to theatres, schools and village halls. Simple assembly and Above: Stage Track s EasyTrack (left) and EasyTrack Lite (right). 92

6 installation has always been a key priority; today Stage-Track offers a range of products. The clue s in the name - Easy Track is aimed towards schools, colleges and Village Halls as well as TV studios. The maximum track length is 25m in motorised systems, but can be longer when made-to-order, or as walkalong; 10kg or 20kg runners are available. Easy Track Lite is a lighter version of Easy Track but uses the same components and is suitable for light-duty back-drops, and applications. raced runners and nylon pulley, offers smooth and silent operation. Most solutions can be serviced with standard parts but systems can also be custom designed. The addition of a TDrive motor allows for a fully motorised system. Unibeam is an aluminium extruded black anodised track system and shares many components of Unitrack. Stock length is 6.1m, and it can be curved to a minimum radius of 2m. The symmetrical design allows for Unibeam to be rigged either way up. technicalfocus Other tracks include the ST-A, ST-B, and ST-C ranges. ST-A is aimed at small and domestic applications with a maximum track length of 10m when motorised, longer in walk-along. ST-B is targeted for general stage use and cyclorama applications. It has a maximum track length of 24m when motorised and again longer as a walkalong. Similar to ST-B but with reinforced sections, ST-C is used for heavy loads. It has a maximum track length of 24m when motorised. Triple E Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Triple E entered the market in 1984, winning the ABTT Theatre Show s Product of the Year Award for its Loose Pin Hinge - and it has gone on to win three more ABTT awards in the years since. Triple E s SDrive. Triple E s I-beam track systems, Unitrack and Unibeam, were introduced in Today Triple E manufactures eight ranges: Unitrack, Unibeam, Chainbeam, Chaintrack, Erail, Unicyc, 3Way and 2Way, with an ethos of simple design, rugged construction and ease of installation. And it s a case of horses for courses - each range offers advantages in particular circumstances, such as simple walk-along systems for space dividing, or motorised systems used for example to vary venue acoustics. Unitrack has a simple one bolt and four spigot joining system which along with ball Erail is a compact aluminium track suitable for medium- to heavy-weight curtains: it can be operated manually or by motors. New in the Triple E stable is its range of track-mounted plug-and-play motors, the TDrive and the SDrive, which can be used on both straight and curved systems. The TDrive is primarily intended for Unitrack and Unibeam and the SDrive is designed for Erail. This year, Triple E launched its new DMAX control box which allows all of its motors to be controlled via DMX. Of course, in addition to its standard range, Triple E also undertakes many custom design engineering projects. THE OBVIOUS CHOICE FOR HIGH END CURTAIN TRACKS & MOTION CONTROL Molton / Velours Shakespeare / Rail H100 / ShowTrack AMAZING STAGE FABRICS IN MOTION INFO@SHOWTEX.COM // // 93