Altimate a brand of controllers and monitoring systems designed and manufactured by Sonoss (France), has expanded its digital control portfolio with the launch of the MotionRoad Touring 24 Essential, a new 24-channel controller developed to meet the evolving requirements of entertainment rigging professionals. Designed around a next-generation hybrid architecture, the new controller aims to deliver greater reliability, enhanced safety and simplified maintenance for lifting applications in demanding live production environments.

Building on the foundation established by the popular T12 controller, the MotionRoad Touring 24 Essential significantly increases operational capacity by offering 24 control channels, allowing users to manage twice as many lifting points from a single controller. The launch also marks a strategic move by Altimate to make hybrid technology the standard across its digital controller range, with the MotionRoad Touring 24 Essential operating exclusively in direct voltage mode.

The hybrid architecture delivers a range of operational advantages, including dedicated circuit breaker protection for every channel, improved component longevity and reduced wear through progressive electronic control. According to Altimate, the hybrid modules offer a lifespan up to ten times longer than conventional technologies while also supporting simplified maintenance procedures designed to align with emerging industry requirements and future regulatory developments.

At the heart of the controller is a 3-inch OLED display that provides operators with real-time visibility of key system information, including power supply status, circuit breaker conditions, reversing switch status, channel addressing, channel usage limitations, software updates and critical function lock settings. To streamline workflows, each channel also features an ‘ADJUST’ position, enabling operators to control individual hoists quickly without having to deselect or reconfigure other active channels.

Visual feedback has also been enhanced through the integration of RGB LED indicators within every selector switch. These indicators provide instant status recognition by displaying operating conditions such as active and inactive channels, adjustment mode and directional movement status.

Operational safety remains a central focus of the new design. To address potential wiring errors between controllers and hoists, each channel incorporates an independent direction reversal function. This allows operators to correct movement direction directly from the controller without modifying the physical installation. Reversal settings can also be locked through the digital interface to maintain configuration integrity throughout operation.

Supporting Altimate’s long-term approach to product sustainability, the MotionRoad Touring 24 Essential includes free software update capability. Users can download the latest firmware directly from the Altimate website, enabling access to future enhancements and new functionality throughout the product’s lifecycle.

Internally, all electronic boards communicate via RJ45 Ethernet connections, creating a robust, scalable and simplified system architecture designed to support reliable operation and straightforward servicing.

The controller also incorporates a Group Stop function that automatically halts an entire lifting group if a circuit breaker trips, helping to maintain operational safety. For applications where continuity is essential, a Bypass function allows unaffected channels to continue operating safely when required.

With the introduction of the MotionRoad Touring 24 Essential, Altimate further strengthens its position in the professional rigging sector, combining hybrid technology, enhanced safety features, simplified maintenance and software scalability in a controller designed to meet the growing demands of modern touring and installation projects.