Owen Valley High School in Spencer, Indiana, upgraded its auditorium by installing Canto USA’s RETRO Series LED retrofit. The space previously used two separate systems: 20 300-watt mini candelabra pendant fixtures for dimmable performance lighting and 20 secondary mercury or sodium vapor fixtures for everyday use. The RETRO Series LED retrofit let the school consolidate both functions into a single, fully dimmable houselight solution without major rewiring.
The school wanted house lights that were dimmable for performances yet bright and reliable for daytime instruction. The RETRO Series LED retrofit met those needs while using the existing fixtures and dimming infrastructure.
They contacted Aaron Seelig of Indianapolis Stage Sales and Rental, Inc., who recommended 20 Canto USA RETRO-Classic® 700 units. The retrofit replaced both lighting systems with one approach while keeping the existing fixtures and dimming infrastructure intact.
One-Evening RETRO Installation
Because the project required no major rewiring, installation moved quickly. The team removed the existing reflectors and glass, installed the RETRO-Classic 700 units, replaced the reflectors, and attached safety cables to the fixture bodies. The old vapor fixtures were left in place as backup.
All 20 houselights were replaced in a single evening so the auditorium could be used for classes again the next morning—demonstrating the time- and labor-saving advantage of a RETRO Series LED retrofit in an active school environment.
One Lighting System for the Entire Auditorium
The auditorium director was impressed that just 20 RETRO units could replace the two previous lighting systems. The same houselights now serve for dimmable performances and daytime instruction, simplifying both the lighting system and its controls.
Aaron Seelig explained why the RETRO was a good fit: “I am a huge fan of the Canto RETRO line! I have been able to use it on any dimming system I have come across, from ETC to Strand to Colortran and more. These have been a lifesaver for projects that don’t have the funds to hire an outside electrician to pull new LoVo wire to each fixture.”
He noted that while customers may initially focus on the retrofit cost, the comparison changes once they consider the expense of installing new fixtures or pulling new control wiring. For Owen Valley High School, the RETRO approach meant one reliable lighting system, a quick installation, and no major changes to the auditorium’s infrastructure.
Canto USA’s RETRO Series Fully Dimmable LED Retrofit Houselights
Canto USA presents the RETRO series. The RETRO-Fusion® 2.0 and RETRO-Passive® 2.0 are 0-100% phase dimmable (forward and reverse) variable wattage LED engines available in 2700K–6500K and 80–97 CRI options. They are designed to work with older SCR, TRIAC, and IGBT dimmer systems while remaining compatible with newer dimmer systems. As direct lamp replacements, these LED retrofit kits work in many retrofit and new-installation scenarios. Custom and standard mounting options are available.
Why schools choose the RETRO Series
- Fast installation—retrofit of multiple fixtures in a single evening, minimizing downtime.
- Compatibility with existing dimming systems, avoiding complex rewiring or new control runs.
- Consolidation of separate lighting systems into a single, easy-to-control houselight solution.
- Lower installation labor and infrastructure costs compared to full fixture replacement.
If you’re evaluating options for auditorium houselights, the RETRO Series LED retrofit offers a proven path to simplify controls, save installation time, and maintain full dimming performance with existing infrastructure—an approach used successfully at Owen Valley High School.
