Lightship Productions, owned and run by the enterprising Ni-Lou Breytenbach, is the latest South African lighting production, design and delivery specialist to invest in MA Lighting control with the purchase of an MA onPC command wing, delivered by SA distributors, DWR Distribution CC.

Lightship Productions works across all industry sectors including corporate and live events, TV productions and theatre shows, the latter hailing back to Breytenbach’s industry roots. His varied workload includes designing and programming his own shows, providing operating and FOH co-ordination, support services for others and working as a lighting systems engineer.

“With business expanding, the time was right to invest in a powerful industry standard control surface,” he explained.

“With MA being an obvious choice – it’s what most top level shows are using.”

As a systems tech and FOH “babysitter” for numerous international shows and tours, Breytenbach noticed that it was “MA, MA, MA” much of the time at FOH.

Numerous conversations with both international and South African based LDs confirmed that MA was the default choice for most major shows and it reached a point in Lightship’s development where Breytenbach knew they needed to offer MA.

He needed faders – for his busking shows – and also command functions. Price was also a consideration, so the MA onPC command wing was a perfect entry level option for his journey into the MA world, with the option to expand on this module with extra components like the MA onPC fader wing.

The free MA 3D visualiser that comes with the console was another big selling point for Breytenbach – it can import all his CAD drawings, renders and system layouts.

Breytenbach admits he has much to learn on the new console, but already “you can see that you’re not going to run out of options with it,” he comments.

He especially likes the interactive qualities and the way the screens, main functions like presets – and other ‘real-estate’ can be arranged to suit personal style and preferences. “It’s really logical and has a nice flow,” he concludes.

Breytenbach’s industry career started in the theatre on campus at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, and he also worked as a freelance lighting and systems tech on concerts and music shows in and around the town. He founded Lightship Productions in 2006 and moved to Pretoria in 2010 as the corporate side of his business expanded.

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