Burning the candle at both ends…

Written By: Steve Roudebush

Our favorite “flicker candle” has always been the CandleLite brand product. The original incandescent version has a reasonable randomness to it and the overall effect looks great even from the front row. When City Theatrical began manufacturing the product, they took a fresh look and made a handful of user friendly changes (most notably, making the Candlestick version just a little bit wider so that the 9V fits inside!).

Another important and somewhat overlooked change made was availability of each CandleLite flavor in an LED version. Smartly, City Theatrical kept the incandescent versions too. Here are the important points to consider:

1. Battery Life – As you would guess, the LEDs win. On average, the LED unit will last about 20 hours on a fresh 9V battery. The incandescent will run ~ 2 hours. That’s 10 batteries saved (10 x $1.49 BMI 9V Panasonic Industrial Battery = $14.90). Oh, and keep in mind that the LED units are the same price as the incandescent.

2. Realism – The incandescent units win. LEDs don’t have a nice analog-ish ramp-up and ramp-down smoothness. No mistake, the LEDs look decent, but are just a bit choppier when compared to the incandescent.

Custom Glass Gobo Glee...

Written By: Steve Roudebush

All too often, price changes are about things heading in the up direction. Well, here’s a chance to point out a price reduction compliments of the cool cats at Apollo. Thanks to newer & more efficient production processes, Apollo has neatly trimmed their price to us on custom black & white and 1-color (color & white) glass gobos. Following their lead, we’re going to pass that along to you. Not much of a break on the duplicates, but the savings on the original should cover a few of your favorite beverages. Here are the details… Custom B&W (1-color) Original Glass: Old price - $161.50 each New price - $139.04 each Custom B&W (1-color) Duplicate Glass: Old price - $86.70 each New price - $86.24 each Remember, if you have a black and white design and you plan to use it over and over again…glass will 1) look better and 2) last longer than a traditional steel gobo. Also, remember that glass gobos are best in modern ellipsoidals that have a dichroic glass reflector (e.g. heat passes out the back). Glass gobos in a 360Q with a 750W EHG lamp will be crying in pain (well, most anything in the gate of a 360Q will cry out in pain eventually). Cheers!

Six Flags Alpine Fest Haus

Written By: Carl Spaulding

We’ve just completed another project at the Six Flags Great Escape! The photos below are of the new Alpine Fest Haus. The overhead and wall banners were provided and installed by BMI Supply. For the last several weeks the entire team at great escape has been running non-stop in a beautifully coordinated ballet of lifts, ladders, saws and screw guns to get this building ready for the park to open tomorrow. As you can see from the photos the final clean up hasn’t happened quite yet but the overall concept is clear.

Have a great weekend and thanks as always - Carl 05-08-2009

Catalog 2009, Part 2: This, that, and the forgotten…

Written By: Steve Roudebush

In part 1, I highlighted a few items included in the 2009 catalog that reinforce the theme of “economy” and “value” choices. In part 2, I’d like to briefly point out a few other tidbits, changes, oddities, and (unfortunately) omissions.

Off we go:

ETC & Selador (page 1) – This announcement happened just as we were approaching the finish line for the catalog. We already had Selador Lustr fixtures out in the field, so we had a bit of background on the overall product. We’re confident ETC will do a nice job with these fixtures. The VIVID is ready and shipping, Lustr and Paletta are due right around now. Demos will be available.

ETC Element (page 1) – This console, introduced at USITT 2009 in Cincinnati, has generated considerable buzz! Like the Selador units above, we caught wind of this just before publishing. However, we couldn’t squeeze any details from ETC prior to press, and wanted to have copies of the catalog ready for USITT. Hence, just a couple teaser sentences. Preliminary data sheet is available here. We are expecting pricing and delivery times to be announced in early May.

Contracting/Installations (page 9) – The catalog is geared towards day-to-day sales and supply orders, but we like to make mention of our offerings relative to installations. Our experienced project managers and installers complete projects including counterweight rigging systems, motorized rigging systems, orchestra pit lifts, lighting systems, and more. Project size runs the gamut from a few dead-hung pipes in an elementary school to a complex motorized system in a brand new performing arts facility. We’ve even rigged some impressive chandeliers! We’re one of the largest ETC dealers in the country and have a certified technician on staff.

Shackle Plates (page 17) – Ratings!

Custom Gobos (page 48) – Lead time for B&W Custom Glass is down to 3 days!

Where’s the Source 4 PAR? (page 54) – Amidst updating Rosco Litepad (new HO version), getting fresh Altman PAR Can photos, and working in the Economy PAR Cans…the Source 4 PAR surreptitiously vanished. Being an everyday, taken-for-granted kind of item, it slipped through the proofing process. Hey, we all make mistakes. We have much love for the Source 4 PAR, so it is back in the PDF version of the catalog available on our main website. Maybe we’ll give it a whole page for 2010?

Lamps (pages 64 and 65) – Just the tip of the iceberg. Don’t see what you need? Call or email.

Parts (page 66) – Again, plenty more available. Oh, and check out the R1DL socket, bottom right. For L&E Mini-Strip and Times Square Sunset Strip. Improved design by Osram…should hold up better than the old ones.

Changes & Updates – It’s inevitable with a print catalog…products change, prices change…keep up to date on the latest with the PDF on our website. We highlight changes with light blue shaded backgrounds.

Thanks again for your business and friendship!

Window of opportunity…

Written By: Carl Spaulding

We just got word that ETC has released pricing for the new Element Console! BMI Supply Proudly Offers The Following Prices: Contact your sales manager for package pricing!

Element 40	250 Channels	... ... ... ...	$ 4,087.50
Element 40	500 Channels	... ... ... ...	$ 4,462.50
Element 60	250 Channels	... ... ... ...	$ 5,062.50
Element 60	500 Channels	... ... ... ...	$ 5,437.50

In conjunction with the release of the new pricing ETC has announced that all ION consoles will now be priced on application. According to ETC’s most recent news: “Ion pricing is also increasing significantly…”. All of these ION changes begin July 1st.

ION pricing good until July 1st 2009

ETC ION 1000 ... ... ... ... ... ...	... ... ... ...	$ 5,062.50
ETC Universal Fader Wing 2x10	... ... ... ...	$ 900.00
ETC Universal Fader Wing 2x20	... ... ... ...	$ 1,725.00
ETC Net3 Radio Focus Remote	... ... ... ...	$ 1,875.00

If you were thinking about purchasing an ION now is the time.

Catalog 2009, Part 1: Stretching your Budget

Written By: Steve Roudebush

As we develop new content for our annual catalog, it’s easy to focus on the latest and greatest…which are often the priciest and least applicable to the broad range of customers we serve. This year, with most everyone’s wallet feeling “uneasy”, we aimed to expand and highlight some of the economical options out there.

Here are some examples for your consideration:

Times Square S100 Wash (page 2) – Great little set light or fill light for small spaces...much nicer price point ($72.25) than some of the other like items out there ($130+).

Light Source Side Arms (page 4) – Nice update on a standard piece of hardware. Aluminum, nice black finish, and less expensive than the standard cast/steel type.

ElectroVoice Microphones – PL Series (page 5) – We had a chance to hear these at our office…wow! Crisp & clear, well-built, and offered for a variety of sound reinforcement situations. Excellent prices…and we have some wiggle room for 2+ pieces.

Martin Magnum 650 Fogger (page 5) – Quick, clean, and simple fogger. Easy on/off switch for fog control. No frills, but a quality machine from a reputable name for just $128.00.
H&H Scenery Carriers (page 6) – These sturdy carriers fit H&H 400 Series AND ADC 2800 Series track channel. Well thought-out and useful for many scenery applications.

REVVO Casters (page 15) – Historically we’ve offered heavy duty casters across all sizes, which can be overkill at times especially down in the 2” and 3” sizes. This year we partnered with Revvo to bring the new light duty D-series to our customers. Sturdy rubber wheel with a plain bearing.

Elation UV Wash (page 36) – Great little UV wash fixtures for small lab spaces, displays, etc.

Economy PAR Cans (page 54) – We love the bomb-proof steel tank that is the Altman PAR Can, but sometimes a nice, light, tidy, inexpensive aluminum can will do the trick. Here they are. Black PAR64 with Edison plug installed…for under $35.00! Pair it up with a new AluPAR lamp by Osram to keep that lightweight feel.

Beltpack Transmitter Protective Covers (page 75) – Quite a saga behind BMI offering these for sale. Long story short, certain customers were tired of explaining drug store condom purchases to their bookkeepers. BMI to the rescue! We brought in a bulk order of unlubricated condoms at a nice price, passing the savings along to you. No more odd trips to the drugstore…simply have us ship them with your other theatrical supplies. And the word condom won’t show up on the bill 

Also check out the Cabaret Followspot (page 62), Production Intercom (page 76), and Hot Wire Foam Factory tools (page 86)!

In part 2, we’ll chat up a few other tidbits from the 2009 catalog...

Shipping Bricks...

Written By: Steve Roudebush

Nothing is more captivating that a conversation about counterweight, no? Here are a few notes to consider: Generally, we do custom cut orders at quantities over 1000 lbs. This also maximizes your “bang-for-the-buck” relative to spreading out the shipping expenses across a greater quantity of weight. We work directly with a handful of excellent steel companies…they’ve been cutting counterweight for us for many years and know our firm commitment to quality workmanship, reliable service, and fair pricing. What if you just need a handful of bricks to get through a challenging production? Don’t be scared off by the 1000 lbs number above. We often have leftover bricks in the warehouse from our various counterweight installation projects. Give us a shout, and we’ll take a look at what is on hand.

MMM…good…

Written By: Steve Roudebush

Well, we've had a busy past week or so at BMI Supply. What better way to follow up a Vectorworks distributorship announcement than letting the news out that we've been granted a distributorship for … 3M Adhesives! Probably best to keep those two products away from each other. Anyway, we're proud to build our own stock of some tried-and-true scenic construction products. We've been offering the 3M Fastbond 30NF "Green" glue for years, and now we'll bring some spray adhesives to the table as well…#77 Super, #78 Foam, and #90 High Strength. Nice lineup. To top it off, we'll have 3M's 5-way penetrating lubricant as well, perfect for freeing up frozen bolts, keeping machinery in good condition, silencing fussy set doors, and who knows what else. They say variety is the spice of life…part of the fun of doing what we do at BMI Supply is chatting up something like Vectorworks on one phone call…then 5 minutes later talking to a TD about paint and adhesives (like Fastbond!). Keeps us on our toes, and hopefully keeps us fresh for our customer's benefit. Happy drafting. And gluing.

Human In Flight:

I’d like to talk for a moment about flying people. Every year, we get a handful of calls that start something like this: “We’re doing Peter Pan, and we’d like to get whatever we need to fly…” Time out!

With a myriad of important variables, these systems have to be engineered for each specific venue. Rigging a flying system for people is a different animal and we recognize that flying humans is best done by those who specialize in this specific task. If your production requires human flight, here is the list of professionals we recommend:

Hall Associates Flying Effects
ZFX Flying Effects
Flying By Foy

Thanks as always - Carl 04-23-2009

Welcome - Our First Post

Welcome to the new BMI Supply blog. We want to present our customers and friends with a fresh view of the goings on here at BMI Supply as well as offer some frequently requested advice we doll out freely. We’d like to start a few traditions, present some interesting information, and give you news about what is on the horizon. To that end, let us begin…

Today’s press release will be my first subject. BMI Supply is now a Vectorworks dealer. You can see the press release behind this link so I won’t repeat all it has to say here. I’d rather talk for a moment about why Vectorworks. After discussions with some influential students at USITT, we thought it might be time to add the Vectorworks family to our already vast array of products. This CAD program is fantastic. It not only covers your bases for drafting and 3D modeling, the full out Vectorworks Spotlight with Renderworks can go all the way to visualizations. With a list price $300.00 lower than its primary competition, a year of free tech support, and a 30 day money back guarantee, you can’t go wrong.

Another interesting note: Our buddy Chris “Chippa” Curran visited and brought along a Hippotizer media server. WOW! The Hippotizer interface is super easy to use, has amazing functionality, and so many powerful tools all packed into one box. I’ve been in lighting design since long before this kind of media integration took off so I’ve had the interesting perspective of watching it grow in the industry and seeing it develop. As an industry, we’ve come a long way with projection and achieved great results. If you’d like to see one of these boxes “do its thing” please contact us to arrange a demo.

Something else worth mentioning in our first blog post are the numerous ways to get in touch with us. If you would like more information on a product, have a production question, or just need some advice, we are at eager to hear from you.

Give us a shout: 1-800-836-0524

Drop us a tweet via Twitter

(@BMI_Supply)

(@Carl_BMI)

(@Steve_BMI)

Sign into our live chat application

Drop one of us an e-mail.

Thanks as always - Carl 04-14-2009