Nicolas “Murph” Murphy Reflects Gentri’s Sweeping Sound With ChamSys
SALT LAKE CITY – Words like “soaring” and “inspirational” come up often when critics write about Gentri. It’s easy to see why. With its sweet harmonies and lush orchestration, the music of these three Utah-based tenors gives wings to the imagination.
Their sound can also inspire an uplifting lighting design — even on short notice. This was plain to see at the trio’s recent socially distant livestreamed concert at Salt Lake City’s Maverik Center, where Nicolas “Murph” Murphy supported their evocative cinematic-like performance with an artful blend of bold light and shadows.
Relying on sharply focused beams and a variety of light angles, Murphy sculpted the three tenors on stages, amplifying their charismatic qualities. He also endowed the stage with greater depth by balancing bold swaths of light with shadows, and mixing reds and greens with vivid ambers, blues and other hues.
Impressively, Murphy, the owner of Murphy’s Production Services, pre-programmed this 11-universe, 82-fixture show, which he ran on his MagicQ MQ500 Stadium console, in a few hours with help from his ChamSys MagicVis software.
“The group’s production manager is an old high school friend of mine,” he said. “I was able to get a recording of every song they planned to perform. I tend to listen to the track a few times and then program out what I visualized in my head. Kind of my normal process when I am afforded the time. Due to our limited time available in the venue, I pre-programmed everything in MagicVis at my house in less than a day, something I was able to do, because it’s so easy to work with this software.”
Arranging his fixtures, which were supplied by Clear Lamp A/V, on stage left and stage right vertical truss structures as well as on three rows of overhead truss, Murphy created distinctly different looks throughout the concert to reflect its evolving moods. “My design process kind of boils down to just how I think and visualize the music,” he said. “I conceptualize the lighting rig that would be best suited for optimal coverage, whittle down the rig to fit within budget/time constraints, visualize how I want the stage to look, and then translate into real life. I can’t even draw a straight line or paint worth a damn, but give me light and I’ll paint the world.
“Mostly, I designed this show for the live crowd,” he continued. “But most tours and events I have been doing the last few years involve cameras, so there’s a real chance my work will be viewed on the small screen down the road. Because of this, I now naturally program looks that will work for the camera, but will also look great for whoever sees them in person.”
The stunning looks created for this show also translated well onto photographs. A “bonus” in this concert, notes Murphy was that his design was photographed by Leavitt Wells.
“It was nice to work with a photographer who can represent my lighting so well,” he said. “Leavitt is a gifted photographer and I always look forward to seeing how she captures my work.“
Making it easier for Murphy to run his show was the intuitive layout of his MQ500 console. “The dual built-in large touch screens of the MQ500 are a lifesaver,” he said. “The configurability of the windows means that everything I need is just a touch away. Also, having 15 physical faders per page saves time and gives me a lot more flexibility.”
For Murphy, being able to run the Gentri show was an early Christmas present of sorts, since it represented the first time in 10 months that he was able to work in a large venue.
“There no way to describe how good it felt to be in an arena with a proper lighting rig again,” he said. “The outline of this rig was something I was working on for a client before the pandemic. It was nice to see it come to life in a new and unexpected way for this show.”
Photo Credit: Leavitt Wells
Given the size and scope of this lightshow, the channel capacity of the MQ500M was another important benefit for Horn. “At 78 Universes and with limited space on the train for control gear, my console was a life saver, because it handled everything with no need for any racks of external processing.
Scott’s plan may have seemed simple, but there was a complicating factor: he was given only 48-hours-notice that he would be LD for the show. To make matters even more problematic, he also had to light two other bands on the second night of the holiday show, along with providing supplemental lighting at the start and conclusion of the movies that were shown each night. 
“Being able to take my desk on the stage deck to do my DS focus without having to ask a tech to assist with moving it made my days a lot easier,” said Scott. “I never fail to be amazed at how something so compact can be so easy to work with in real time at a show. Things like the eight Encoder Wheels put so much at your fingertips.”
Dustin L Derry programmed and ran the laser show on his ChamSys 
Describing the MQ500 as “the workhorse” of his 24-universe (one for each laser) show, Derry recounted its role in his work. “I used the MQ500 along with X-Laser Mercury for programming the show in my home studio, and the interface between the two was perfect,” he said. “MagicQ was the primary ‘brain’ in my entire show. 
In addition to his main console, Derry had a 
A longtime ChamSys user, Berzosa programmed his show on a MagicQ with a PCWing. He is running the show at venues throughout Spain on his 
“The Plan View Grids in the output window that allow you to have multiple Grid Plan Views to divide up a lighting grid views are very useful when you have so many elements in your show,” said Berzosa. “It is easy for me to simplify things by using the buttons and encoders to change brightness levels and colors for fixtures by groups, especially since I had so many things going on. Also, having the faders and encoders arranged around the touchscreen is very convenient.
As so often has happened when creative spirits have been challenged by this pandemic, those involved in FLAVS came roaring back with a fierce burning intensity that blew away any disappointment. The 40 artists who appeared at the festival created a tight, nonstop torrent of raw unapologetically passionate sound, leaving those who paid Rp 99,000 (US$6.99) for a virtual day pass with the feeling that their money was well-spent.
Dimitriadis arranged some of the fixtures in his rig on five totems behind the DJ booth, spacing them out to preserve the sea view. Other fixtures were positioned on overhead hang points as well as on each side of the booth. This allowed him to hit the DJ and the widely separated tables on what would normally be the dancefloor with an immersive web of light from every direction. 
Taking place at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica School of Dance in late 2019, the production won the national Mireya Barboza 2019 award for best designed dance show in February. It captivates audiences by presenting a series of stories built around its central them.
“In a production such as this one, where there were so many components and so many changes of scene, it was very important to have a smooth workflow,” said Piedra. “The ChamSys console aligned with my creative process. This was fantastic, because it let me focus on what is truly important, telling the story and creating the right visuals. 
These considerations led them to pack two 
Although purely virtual and not good for admittance to any show, each tour pass is customized for Murph’s friends, with their name, as well as job title, which is some form of “House Integration Specialist.”
Murph is gratified that his “world tour” is making a difference in the lives of people close to home. He’s also grateful that it gives him the opportunity to work his console. “I have been touring with a MQ500 since 2017, right when they came to the United States,” he said. “From what has been told to me, I was the second person in the States to take delivery of the MQ500 and the first to take one on a North American Tour.”
Just ask Lighting Director and Operator Jason Hyne, who is running the boards for the show, which was designed by Rob Sinclair. A ChamSys user since 2013, Hyne is working with the MQ500 for the first time on the Ducks tour, and finds that the console has greatly enhanced his work.
“I was very impressed with Adlib’s new programming suite, as well as team account handler Jordan Willis, and the lighting team of Kev Byatt, Paul Hyne and Oli Gorman,” said Hyne. “As you would expect, the 
