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Penn’s Grove Middle School Updates Its Auditorium With Canto USA’s RETRO Series

Penn’s Grove Middle School, located in Oxford, PA, was looking to update its auditorium lighting system. Many of the existing house lights were in definite need of repair resulting in dark spots throughout the auditorium. They consulted with Illuminated Integration to design and install a new system.

Illuminated went with Canto USA’s RETRO Series which allowed them to upgrade the entire house lighting system while limiting the number of fixtures that needed to be completely replaced. A total of 59 RETRO-Fusion 500s with mini-candelabra stems were used throughout. The RETRO‘s smooth dimming and warm 3000K color temperature have been a definite improvement over their older system. 

Penns Grove Before Canto USA RETRO Install 01
Penn’s Grove Middle School Before Installation
Penns Grove After Canto USA RETRO Install 01
Penn’s Grove Middle School After Canto USA RETRO Series Installation

“The RETRO fixture themselves were very easy to install. It took about 2 and 1/2 days to do all of them. They just screwed in like a regular bulb. Seemed to be a very quality fixture.” said Ted Best, Illuminated Integration’s Lead Installation Creative.

Penns Grove Before Canto USA RETRO Install 02
Penn’s Grove Middle School Before Installation
Penns Grove After Canto USA RETRO Install 02
Penn’s Grove Middle School After Canto USA RETRO Series Installation

Other upgrades included the stage lighting with ETC Source 4WRD II fixtures and ETC ColorSource PAR fixtures. An ETC Element 2 lighting console was specified because of its advanced theatrical color control capability and its magic sheet feature. For architectural control, an ETC Paradigm system was specified which interfaces with button stations and touchscreens around the space. The lighting rig was designed to accommodate any event that is held on the stage from school assemblies, choir concerts, to a musical!

Penns Grove After Canto Usa Retro Install 03
Penn’s Grove Middle School After Canto USA RETRO Series Installation

The RETRO Series Line of Products

RETRO-Fusion™ – Lighter & Smaller

CantoUSA RETRO-Fusion Series Product Photo

With the RETRO-Fusion being lighter and lower profile, along with a beveled top edge, it is able to squeeze into more shallow fixtures without having the lens protrude from the front of the trim ring. That reduces any type of glare. This new design opens up more opportunities and applications.

RETRO-Classic™ – Flexibility & Customization

CantoUSA RETRO-Classic Series Product Photo

The RETRO-Classic our original 0-100% phase dimmable (forward and reverse) variable wattage LED 2700K-6500K 80-97 CRI engine retrofit house light and most customizable RETRO in the entire RETRO family. They are heavier than the Fusion, yet lighter than Passive.

RETRO-Passive® – Absolute Silence

CantoUSA RETRO-Passive Series Product Photo

Being fanless, the RETRO-Passive is perfect for sound-sensitive spaces like museums and concert halls. They also have heavier heat sinks to compensate for not having active cooling.

RETRO-PAR – PAR Lamp Replacement

CantoUSA RETRO-Par Series Product Photo

The RETRO-PAR is easy to replace/install, modular, and customizable. Customizable features include active or passive cooling, different wattage outputs, and different optical beam spreads. It comes in PAR 38, 46, 56, and 64 styles, as well as custom.

RETRO-HPL

CantoUSA RETRO-HPL Product Photo

The RETRO-HPL is a direct replacement for existing Source 4 PARs in the marketplace, especially those used for house lights.

About CantoUSA

Founded in 2013, Canto USA is a manufacturer of houselight retrofits and followspots. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to our mission: “Our customers come first. In order to do this, we continuously train our team on the latest trends and needs of the industry, while at the same time becoming a trendsetter in the development of new products and technology that no other company has available.” 

Have a custom job we did for you and want to be featured in one of our blogs articles?

Sunset Center installs Canto USA’s NEW Culla Pendant Series

The Sunset Center is a performing arts center located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Formerly the Sunset School, it was purchased in 1965 by the city of Carmel with the plan to develop it into a cultural center. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 9, 1998. A $23 Million restoration in 2002 added new seats, fly gallery, improved acoustics and an enlarged lobby. Now it is a performing arts center that features concerts, comedy, theatre, and dance. Annually it welcomes over 125,000 visitors from the entire Bay Area.

Sunset’s project manager, Kendall Smith, recently handled a lighting upgrade for the center with Canto USA’s Culla Pendant product line. He was gracious enough to sit down with us and talk about his experience with it.

So, what prompted the Sunset Center to upgrade its lighting?

We have a variety of house lighting at our theatre; pendants, wall washes, and chandeliers. The 22 halogen pendant lamps hang from heights of 20’ to 50’ but with no easy means of access. In the past, when the halogen lights burn out, a scaffolding company was brought in for access. They would build a small section, change the light bulb in 30 seconds, take it down and move to the next burnout. It worked out to be around $500 to change a light bulb! We needed to find a more cost-effective solution.

Sunset Center Canto USA Pendant Before Installation 02
Sunset Center Before Installation
Sunset Center Canto USA Pendant Before Installation 01
Sunset Center Before Installation

What made the Sunset Center choose Canto USA for the job? Was it previous experience, ease of installation, or something else?

It was very important that we get a retrofit unit that matched our current color temperature and had a perfect dimming curve. We looked at other manufacturers, spoke with many top engineers, and the only company that could produce a high-quality fixture was Canto USA. This is an older building with a two-wire system and no additional wiring was possible. Therefore we needed a fixture that could work off of our current ETC dimming system.

What were some of the challenges?

The original pendants had a mini candelabra base which was twenty years old. Rather than combine the new RETRO unit with an old fixture, we had Canto USA design a pendant with an Edison base, providing us with a brand-new fixture and a full warranty. Since we also use our theatre for chamber orchestras and small presentations, there could be no additional sound coming from the new lighting. For that reason, we chose the pendant with passive engines that are fanless.

Given the supply chain, we were worried about getting the product in time for our small installation window. Canto USA was able to get us a sample fixture within one month and the entire order four weeks later!

Were there any other customizations that had to be done?

I wanted to reduce the glare coming from the houselights so I asked the design team to place the LED lamp farther back into the unit and yet still provide the proper beam angle. The engineers were more than happy to customize the unit and I believe it simplified the manufacturing of the pendant. We also asked for a bronze custom color for the pendant that fit in well with our current color scheme.

How long did the installation take?

The installation went much faster than anticipated. Since the old pendant and the Culla Pendant had the same canopy, it took only ten minutes to install. With the combination of the scaffolding company, and our local installer Collins Electric, they managed to do the orchestra level in four days and the balcony in two. Mind you, the theatre floor is raked so additional time was needed to adjust for the varying floor heights.

Sunset Center CantoUSA Pendant Installation 1
Sunset Center CantoUSA Culla Pendant Installation
Sunset Center CantoUSA Pendant Installation 2
Sunset Center CantoUSA Culla Pendant Installation

Were any adjustments necessary with the new pendants in some areas?

The last detail that needed to be addressed was our new balcony pendants which were added to better illuminate the balcony area.  In the past, the only light in the balcony were some wall wash units and 2 small chandeliers which did not provide enough light to read programs. Using power from the wall wash units, we added 4 new pendants to address this issue. The problem then became where to hang them so the light did not visually get in the way of the wall wash units or the chandeliers. The only solution was to hang them a bit lower and further off from center than we wanted, making a very short throw to the upper balcony. By extending the light further to the front of the unit and using wall wash attachments, it perfectly directed the light to the center of the section.

What was everybody’s initial reaction when the job was done?

The staff and audience noticed a big difference in the warmth and brightness of the units. The theatre is very evenly lit now, and with the addition of four new pendants in the balcony, bright enough for everyone to read their program.  Given the quality and spread of the new fixtures, we are keeping our houselights at 70%.

How does everybody feel about how the new LED pendants are performing in the space?

We had the opening of our season last night and it was flawless. The dimming curve on these units is perfect and the city will be happy to know we cut our power consumption from 11,000 watts to 1100, a 90% drop!

Sunset Center CantoUSA Pendant After Install 2
Sunset Center CantoUSA Culla Pendant After Install
Sunset Center CantoUSA Pendant After Install 1
Sunset Center CantoUSA Culla Pendant After Install

Any issues?

The only issue we had was the lack of load on our dimmers. Initially, the Culla units were flickering, now drawing only 150 watts per circuit rather than 1500w. Once we combined multiple circuits into one dimmer the flickering stopped completely.

Anything else?

I would like thank Collins Electric-Contractor, Meredith Nole: Monterey Lighting-Representative/Consultant, and David West of Wunder Lighting for their work on this project along with the entire staff at the Sunset Cultural Center for their support.

Ken, thanks for talking with us about your experience with our product.

The NEW Culla Pendant

Canto USA Culla Pendant Series

Our Culla Pendants are proudly made in the USA. They are meant to be used with the RETRO-Fusion™RETRO-ClassicRETRO-Passive® and any E26 Screw in Light Engine

About CantoUSA

Founded in 2013, Canto USA is a manufacturer of houselight retrofits and followspots. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to our mission: “Our customers come first. In order to do this, we continuously train our team on the latest trends and needs of the industry, while at the same time becoming a trendsetter in the development of new products and technology that no other company has available.” 

Have a custom job we did for you and want to be featured in one of our blogs articles?

Canto USA’s RETRO Series Goes International With Its First Project In Australia

The RETRO series has had a lot of success here in the US. It’s been used to upgrade house lights in churches, schools, universities, and museums to reliable and energy-efficient LED lighting. The simplicity, versatility, and customization of the RETRO make it an economical solution when replacing the entire lighting system is out of scope. The smooth and flicker-free dimming it provides has also made it perfect for performance halls that also record and broadcast video. With all of this going for the product line, it’s only natural that it starts to gather some attention from other parts of the globe.

Methodist Ladies College located in Claremont Western Australia has had a long rich history dating back to 1907. A vibrant all-girls boarding and day school that has grown over the past 115 years to include a world-class geothermally heated pool facility and new drama and music facilities. Expansion and redevelopment over the years had led Doug Hounslow, Theatre and Venues Manager, to search for an LED solution for MLC’s primary venue, Hadley Hall. It had an interesting lighting system comprised of 10 E27 LED lamps, 10 125 watt discharge lamps, and 20 250 watt discharge lamps all of which were switched from different places. To say the setup was difficult to use was an understatement – let alone suitable for performances.

Methodist Ladies College before Canto USA RETRO installation photo 1
Methodist Ladies College before Canto USA RETRO installation
Methodist Ladies College before Canto USA RETRO installation photo 1
Methodist Ladies College before Canto USA RETRO installation

Doug reached out to Darren Irving from LIDA Industries, our new rep based in Burleigh, Australia. “Darren has been such a big help throughout this process. From my initial query 12 months ago through to helping with issues.” Doug said, “His support has been exemplary.”

“The key advantage of the Canto USA RETRO series line is the ROI (Return On Investment),” said Darren, “A client can quickly ‘retrofit’ their venue lighting without the expense of re-cabling, adding additional drivers and reprogramming, all of which add substantial cost to a project.”

The RETRO series was chosen to replace the 20 x 250 Watt discharge fixtures. It was the most compelling solution due to the full smooth 0-100% dimming, no additional DMX/Dali control cabling was required, and the ability to be fitted into the existing infrastructure with minor changes. Removal of the ballast from the fixture and replacement of E40 base to E27 to eliminate any potential arcing were the only customizations required.

Once the shipment of RETRO’s arrived they began building scaffolding as it was the only way to reach the fixtures to do the replacement. Primarily they had 6 of the units fail based on what was believed to be power anomalies due to the fixture’s older lamp bases. They replaced the bases and the issues resolved themselves. Altogether the upgrade and lamp base changes took 15 days.

Staff appreciated better even coverage, the easy dimming control, the consistent color temperature throughout, and the venue looking more inviting as well. “I LOVE the dimming curve,” said Doug.

Methodist Ladies College after Canto USA RETRO Series installation photo 2
Methodist Ladies College after Canto USA RETRO Series installation
Methodist Ladies College after Canto USA RETRO Series installation photo 1
Methodist Ladies College after Canto USA RETRO Series installation

“The RETRO always makes a significant difference to the lighting in every install,” said Canto USA General Manager, John Luhrs, “You really have to appreciate the fantastic dimming curve and the uniform color temperature they provide.”

The RETRO Series Line of Products

RETRO-Classic™ – Flexibility & Customization

CantoUSA RETRO-Classic Series Product Photo

The RETRO-Classic our original 0-100% phase dimmable (forward and reverse) variable wattage LED 2700K-6500K 80-97 CRI engine retrofit house light and most customizable RETRO in the entire RETRO family. They are heavier than the Fusion, yet lighter than Passive.

RETRO-Fusion™ – Lighter & Smaller

CantoUSA RETRO-Fusion Series Product Photo

With the RETRO-Fusion being lighter and lower profile, along with a beveled top edge, it is able to squeeze into more shallow fixtures without having the lens protrude from the front of the trim ring. That reduces any type of glare. This new design opens up more opportunities and applications.

RETRO-Passive® – Absolute Silence

CantoUSA RETRO-Passive Series Product Photo

Being fanless, the RETRO-Passive is perfect for sound-sensitive spaces like museums and concert halls. They also have heavier heat sinks to compensate for not having active cooling.

RETRO-PAR – PAR Lamp Replacement

CantoUSA RETRO-Par Series Product Photo

The RETRO-PAR is easy to replace/install, modular, and customizable. Customizable features include active or passive cooling, different wattage outputs, and different optical beam spreads. It comes in PAR 38, 46, 56, and 64 styles, as well as custom.

RETRO-HPL

CantoUSA RETRO-HPL Product Photo

The RETRO-HPL is a direct replacement for existing Source 4 PARs in the marketplace, especially those used for house lights.

About CantoUSA

Founded in 2013, Canto USA is a manufacturer of houselight retrofits and followspots. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to our mission: “Our customers come first. In order to do this, we continuously train our team on the latest trends and needs of the industry, while at the same time becoming a trendsetter in the development of new products and technology that no other company has available.” 

Have a custom job we did for you and want to be featured in one of our blogs articles?