The State University of New York has purchased a Jands Vista T2 full size lighting console for its School of the Arts faculty, where degree courses in stage lighting design, technical theatre, and stagecraft are held.

With a focus on teaching students to use the very latest in industry technology, Johnnie Ferrell, Associate Professor of Theatre, and Technical Director, at the School of the Arts, decided it was time to upgrade their lighting console to something more modern, powerful, and capable of handing the increasing number of intelligent fixtures.

After evaluating several popular industry lighting consoles, Ferrell was impressed by the Jands Vista so arranged a demonstration for himself and his students at the University.

The Jands Vista lighting console's modern, graphic interface, pen-tablet control, and ease of use made a big impression on Ferrell and the students, so he purchased a full size T2 lighting console for the University’s theatre. 

Ferrell commented that he has never had a lighting desk that is so easy to use. The console is primarily being used in the University’s 386-seater Alice Austin Theatre to control a lighting rig which includes various Altman, ETC, Elation and Vari-Lite intelligent and conventional fixtures.

The Vista has also been used in the campus’ 950-seater Wadsworth Auditorium and 150-seater Robert Sinclair Black Box.

In addition to using the console on-site, the students also frequently edit their shows away from the campus, using the free PC and native Mac-based Vista offline editor software.

Ferrell summarised his experience of the Vista lighting console by relaying a comment his mentor made about the Vista.

"He asked, did I want a lighting console that students could learn to program, or did I want a console that the students could light with? The students love the Vista and it has quickly become their console of choice," said Ferrell.