Hong Kong-based Widelite Technology Limited has installed Zero 88 FLX range lighting control consoles and Chilli dimmers in over 30 schools – to date – for the government’s Education Bureau (EDB) department which is tasked with overseeing state-wide education and learning.
Widelite is a well-respected stage engineering company founded in 2009 to provide stage and studio lighting for multiple sectors, incorporating equipment sales, system design and installation services plus audio and video systems for the broadcast world.
Zero 88’s FLX range and the FLX S48 in particular, together with their practical and robust Chilli dimming systems have proved an ideal choice for several reasons, explained Widelite’s Charlie Mak, one of the sales engineering team.
“They are perfect for schools where staff and students can learn the console quickly and easily. Usually, a half-day training is sufficient to grasp the basics, and from there they can start creating great-looking lighting scenes for themselves and quickly grow their confidence with practice.”
He believes that Zero 88’s ‘Made in the UK’ marque is a huge bonus when talking quality and reliability.
These assorted educational projects range from a standard government school hall – utilised for anything from speech days to singing contests and other productions, to sophisticated black box theatres presenting drama and musicals in some of the international schools.
Widelite’s role in assisting these upgrades of the establishment’s facilities sees them engaging in several ways, and depending on the available budget, this can be anything from specifying replacement lighting equipment to fully redesigning and installing a completely new lighting and visuals system.
There have been over 12 major school installations in the last couple of years, including at the Po Leung Kuk Yao Ling Sun College in Tsuen Wan, and the Man Kwan QualiEd College at Tiu Keng Leng both in the New territories and both installed in 2019.
The demand for FLX consoles continued even despite the pandemic, with the Hong Kong and Macau Lutheran Church Primary School in Tseung Kwan O, New Territories having an FLX lighting console installed and the Shau Kei Wan Government Secondary School on Hong Kong Island, which now has an FLX S48, both delivered in 2020.
Projects completed so far in 2021 include the Aldrich Bay Government Primary School on Hong Kong Island, which had an FLX S48 desk delivered in the year.
Typically, the venues will have a mix of generic and LED luminaires in their lighting rigs, with some of the larger ones also having a number of moving lights, all now under FLX control.
The FLX’s touch monitor is a popular and intuitive feature that is “very handy” for setting up cues and effects, says Charlie, along with the Colour Picker function which includes the option of multi-touch for spreading values across different fixtures, and having separate colour faders which is helpful for selecting and tweaking the exact colours needed.
The “excellent” service and support from Zero 88 is another aspect of the relationship that is highly valued by Widelite and a big part of why they are happy to work with the brand.
“Zero 88 is well established and has a great history. Over the years there has been a commitment to ensure that the products stay innovative, relevant and also affordable and competitive!”
Charlie has worked closely on all these projects with his colleagues, project manager Chan Sing Fai and engineer Alex Li who commissions and programmes the kit post-installation.
In addition to the FLX products, Widelite has also specified Zero 88’s Chilli dimmers into several school facilities including the S.K.H Tin Wan Chi Nam Primary School on Hong Kong Island and the Ling Liang Church Sau Tak Primary School in Lantau Island which both now have Zero 88’s Chilli Pro 2410i and RCD (MKIII) dimmers.
