- High End Systems (HES) offered a sneak preview of the new Catalyst v4 software at the PLASA trade show Sept. 11-14 at Earls Court in London.
- Catalyst, which HES introduced in 2001, is the award-winning software and media server which fuses lighting with digital media, allowing the creation of virtual scenery and unlimited visual effects for markets ranging from tours and corporate events to cruise ships and houses of worship.
- The new Catalyst 4 is enhanced with show control cue lists and pixelMAD functionality. Richard Bleasdale, designer/developer of Catalyst, pixelMAD and SAMSC show control software, said the plug-ins expand the possibilities for users.
- "The pixelMAD plug-in brings with it an entirely new and expanded user interface," Bleasdale explains. "It features multiple onscreen mixes, which is perfect for both DMX LED lighting fixtures and LED walls. The Pro version of Catalyst will have four independent on-screen output mixes and 10 independent assignable layers. Multiple on-screen mixes means that the show operator can break down his set design and run different effects over different sets of fixtures."
- He adds, "The SAMSC show control software plug-in will have a single cue list, but users will be able to run shows standalone, with things like time of day clock, and they will also be able to run the video desks and video switcher devices."
- New features of Catalyst v4 include: High Definition support (HD); support for real-time user defined Quartz Composer compositions; brand new graphic user interface (GUI) for ease of use; powerful stand-alone features, including cue list and show control; 60 new color effects and 60 new visual effects; support for DMX LED fixtures; multiple sub mixes, allow layers to be independently assigned to LED fixtures, LED wall controllers or projectors simultaneously.
- High End Systems will offer three versions of Catalyst v4 software to accommodate a range of budgets and features needed: Catalyst v4 Pro (10 layers, four sub-mixes, two outputs, two universes of up to 100 fixtures, one cuelist; Catalyst v4 DV (six Layers, three sub-mixes, one output, two universes of up to 100 fixtures, one cuelist; Catalyst v4 Xpress (four layers, two sub-mixes, one output, two universes of up to 100 fixtures, one cuelist. For information, visit www.highend.com, or contact Debi Moen, HES marketing communications specialist, at 512.836.2242, ext. 1204 or via e-mail at debi_moen@highend.com.
