Since 2002, AVE (Audio Visual Events) has earned a reputation as one of Australia’s most reliable industry names, delivering high-quality technical production for events of every size.
Known for continually adopting new production technologies, they are now the first production company to add ROXX NEO lites to their inventory. NEO lite is a compact, high-performance, weather-resistant LED wash and flood light powered by battery.
“The purchase came down to a specific gap in our kit,” commented Paul Keating, AVE’s Director/Sales & Marketing Manager. “We required a fixture that was IP-rated, ran on either battery or 240v, had CRMX, and came with barn doors, all in a small form factor that still delivers real punch. The ROXX NEO lites hit every one of those marks.”
Paul explains that the driver behind that spec is what they see across their venues: bump-in and bump-out windows keep tightening as venues optimise their calendars for revenue. A fixture that runs on battery and CRMX cuts their power and cable runs, and those runs are labour-intensive, add freight, and pile up warehouse tasks on both ends of a job. Paul adds that the NEO lites are already helping them strip that overhead out.
Paul and Mark Shepherd, Director/Head of Production at AVE, met the ROXX team at ISE and experienced their range firsthand.
“Ultimately, it was the relationship that sealed it,” he continued. “Add ShowTech’s support behind the product and the decision made sense. What’s more, DQ’s ability to customise the road cases to AVE’s standards ensured we had confidence in the entire package.”
AVE began its ROXX rollout with 16 NEO lites, which have already appeared on numerous shows soon after arriving.
“They’ve been working hard since they arrived,” commented Paul. “As the team gets more reps with them and starts recommending them on spec, we expect uptake from our cross-hire clients to follow.”
Asked how he sees the NEO lites being used, Mark simply replied, ‘Everywhere!’
“We’ll run them indoors and out, and that versatility is the point. They’re strong on a building wash, equally good on a media wall, and they hold up as an audience wash indoors. Versatility earns a fixture space in our warehouse, and these have it.”
Mark remarks that the NEO lites carry features the competition currently doesn’t. They run standalone, connect over Bluetooth through an app, and program via NFC. They take control over cabled DMX or CRMX, then turn around and work as a CRMX transmitter to other fixtures.
“For a Lighting Designer building an event solution, that combination is rare, and it opens up how you rig a room,” he stated. “Their light intensity is phenomenal. It packs a punch for its size. It’s a small fixture, but its output competes with rigs of larger fixtures. That means weight and space-saving benefits.”
Mark is also impressed by the NEO lite’s beam, commenting that the filter system allows them to vary the focus of the wash, which is where the flexibility lives. AVE chose 15-degree and 40-degree filters for the initial deployment, tight enough for defined work and wide enough for broad coverage off the same fixture.
“The magnetic filters are the detail that wins people over,” added Mark. “Integrated magnets snap the filters into place with instant alignment. No screws to lose, no clips to break. It’s a smart, simple execution that holds up under the pressure of a fast bump-in.”
AVE do a great deal of outdoor event work at certain venues, and an IP65 fixture makes those jobs faster to deliver with no compromise on quality. For this style of light, weatherproofing isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s what lets AVE commit to an outdoor deployment without building in fallbacks for weather.
NEO lite includes an integrated CRMX transceiver and Bluetooth module for wireless DMX setup according to industry standards and direct control via the ROXX app. Mark says the menu system and displays are intuitive and that anyone familiar with CRMX linking will deploy these with ease, and even if you’re not, the navigation makes it obvious.
NEO lite also features integrated Near Field Communication (NFC), enabling addressing and configuration of fixtures wirelessly and even when fixture power is not present.
“NFC is becoming a standard, and not just in lighting,” Mark said. “We love addressing the fixtures through the app wirelessly. It saves time in the shop, with no endless button-pushing or menu navigation to set them up. The menus are there when you want them, but NFC means you rarely do.”
Last week, AVE delivered the Tim Tszyu vs Spence face-off at the Watersedge venue in The Rocks for No Limit Boxing, broadcast live on Fox Sports and covered by several other media outlets. The NEO lites played a critical part in the lighting, on an outdoor stage with the Sydney Opera House as the backdrop. First gig out and straight onto a live broadcast in an outdoor setting, which is exactly where the IP65 rating earns its place.
The following evening, AVE delivered a 2,500 pax incentive event, with the NEO lites running wash lighting across the marquees. From there, the NEO lites travelled to Bell Shakespeare (AVE are their Production Partner) for their venue Open Day, and then they will deliver room wash at a teachers’ conference in the Neilson Nutshell.
“Straight out of the box, they’re working well for us, which is exactly what you want out of a new product,” commented Paul.
