A pair of MA Lighting grandMA consoles are being used on the current tour of multi-platinum band 3 Doors Down, which recently released its Seventeen Days album from Republic/Universal.

Known as a real operator’s console, the grandMA is the largest console in MA Lighting’s range. Its three-color touchscreen and up to two external monitors make for a comfortable programming environment. Twenty motorized faders, a built-in keyboard, mouse, mouse pad, trackball, and four-parameter encoders provide a luxurious programming and playback surface. A.C.T Lighting is the exclusive distributor of grandMA in North America.

Christie Lites, Orlando supplied the grandMAs for the 3 Doors Down tour; a previous grandMA rig provided for the band won Christie Lites the Lighting Company of the Year Parnelli Award in 2003. Christie Lites will configure another grandMA rig for the upcoming Lynyrd Skynyrd/3 Doors Down tour this summer.

Right now, two grandMAs run in full tracking mode during 3 Doors Down’s concert dates. They control 10 MAC 2000 wash lights, 16 MAC 2000 profiles, six MAC 2000 performances, 20 MAC 600nts, 12 MAC 250+s, 24 ACL bars, seven 20-light blinders, and two Green Hippo Hippotizer media servers.

Christie Lites programmer Matt Mills has been using grandMA since 2001 and has used grandMAs for 3 Doors Down gigs for the last three years. “It’s my console of choice,” he declares. “It has never let me down.”

Mills says, “When I was introduced to the grandMA, I realized I was able to do a lot more things than on other consoles and more easily. I love the grandMA’s flexibility, and every software update has added some amazing features.

“I’m a big fan of grandMA’s free 3D software, too,” he continues. “I often set up a rig on grandMA 3D at my house, then take my laptop into the shop and hook it up to a grandMA there and program upcoming shows. That way I can be ahead of the game when I walk into the venue.”

Mills is also happy with the support he has received from A.C.T. Lighting. “They’ve been great,” he says. “If I have a programming or hardware issue -- which is rare – Joe [Cabrera] and Mario [Collazo] are just a phone call away.”

“As a company, we love to see the grandMA used by a good programmer on a good act to produce a result that could not be otherwise done in the same way. This is the perfect example of that,” commented Bob Gordon, president and CEO of A.C.T. Lighting.

Mills will be working with the lighting designer for the upcoming Lynyrd Skynyrd/3 Doors Down tour to create a custom-designed grandMA rig for their shows.

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