ChamSys is proud to have performed the first ever live road test of the new Sig-Net protocol at the Big Top Tent at WOMAD festival in Neston, UK. A ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M+ was used to control a ChamSys GeNetix GN8 running Sig-Net protocol controlling 100 fixtures on 6 universes of lighting. ChamSys MQ500M+ supports 400 universes of Sig-Net on up to 10 different Sig-Net scopes direct from the console without requiring any additional processing nodes.
Sig-Net ran flawlessly both during the build and over the four show days, controlling the lighting for over 20 top Artists from all over the world including KOG, Kofi Stone, Emma-Jean Thackray, Barrut, José González and Mádé Kuti-grandson of famous Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Lighting Designers Will Thomas and Chris Kennedy put the lighting through its paces, with moments of transcendent calm and furious flashing. Sig-Net performed superbly throughout, without any latency, flickering or routing issues. Swapping between the main and backup consoles was handled flawlessly.
The stage team of Nikki Dickinson and Katy Jane Lord were amazed at the simplicity of using Sig-Net-a simple passphrase was configured and then it was just left to work for 6 days! WOMAD was founded in 1980 by a group of musicians including Peter Gabriel who is still involved to this day. WOMAD celebrates the world’s many forms of music, arts and dance with live shows and workshops-it even features a Taste the World stage where famous artists cook on stage.
It is entirely fitting that a festival built on the ethos of bringing peoples from around the world together in a safe and secure space, should be the first to use the World’s first safe and secure lighting control protocol. Sig-Net® is a free to use protocol designed by Singularity (UK) Ltd that provides security and authentication, created by Art-Net inventor Wayne Howell. Unlike Art-Net and sACN where anybody with a console or computer can accidentally or maliciously take control of the lighting rig.
All new lighting equipment must support secure lighting protocols by the end of 2027 to be compliant with the incoming European Cyber Resilience Act. Sig-Net enables a full secure remote management and diagnostic interface to ease network configuration issues and uses Multicast Folding™ to overcome the scaling and routing issues of sACN. In addition, RDM, Timecode, MIDI and OSC can all be sent over Sig-Net securely. Lighting for all stages at WOMAD was provided by TSL Lighting based in Basingstoke with the support of Account Director Ian Turner.
ChamSys consoles were used throughout the site on five stages. ChamSys, Singularity, Robe and other top lighting manufacturers will be demonstrating Sig-Net at the PLASA Cybersecurity Pavilion (K66) PLASA London. 6th – 8th September.
For more information, visit chamsyslighting.com.
