IEEE.orgSign InJoin IEEE
Computing

Slideshow: LEDs Rock the House

From NIN to Radiohead, performers are trading in pyrotechnics for LED F/X

IEEE Spectrum
02 Jan 2009
Photo: Rob Sheridan/nin.com
ROCK GOD, LED GEEK: Trent Reznor [center at microphone] of Nine Inch Nails performs live during his 2008 "Lights in the Sky" tour. Video screens behind the band show surveillance camera footage of the venue. <
▲
Photo: Rob Sheridan/nin.com
THREE-SCREEN LED SHOW: On stage, three screens of light-emitting diodes are used to illuminate the stage and create special effects. The screens contain LED pixels in red, blue, and green; the lights can be flashed in combinations to create colors, including white.<
▲
Photo: Rob Sheridan/nin.com
LED F/X: At various points in the show, the band performs behind a transparent or ”stealth” screen of LED pixels. Pixels on the front screen are selectively illuminated to create visual effects, such as the foglike scene shown here.<
▲
Photo: Rob Sheridan/nin.com
CAGED ON STAGE: As the band plays behind the stealth screen, the lights are sometimes left unlit to achieve a cagelike effect.<
▲
Photo: Rob Sheridan/nin.com
A DIY ROCK STAR: Reznor stands before one of the LED pixel screens. A self-taught coder and self-described geek, Reznor takes a hands-on approach to customizing the technology that drives his live performances.<
▲
Photo: Rob Sheridan/nin.com
PEEK-A-BAND: Nine Inch Nails performs in shadows behind the front stealth screen. The idea was to be able to ”see through screens,” as Reznor puts it, and create something ”we could afford to take out.”<
▲
Photo: Rob Sheridan/nin.com
JAMMING WITH REZNOR: Reznor records and performs under the name Nine Inch Nails, but he also goes out on the road backed by other musicians, including the two pictured here, for live shows.<
▲
Photo: Rob Sheridan/nin.com
THE TUBES: Tubes of light like the ones shown here are manufactured by Element Labs, based in Santa Clara, Calif. The tubes can be arranged in vertical strips as high as 30 feet, or over 9 meters, measuring 30 feet high.<
▲
Photo: Rob Sheridan/nin.com
ARE YOU LEDPERIENCED: ”I realized that having the right visuals can act as an anchor and allows us to play music that we couldn’t otherwise,” Reznor says. He hopes to use this technology to create an ambitious live performance similar to Pink Floyd’s epic, The Wall.<
▲

For more on LED pyrotechnics, see A Rock Show Gets the LED Out

consumer electronicsledssemiconductorstrent reznornine inch nailstype:slideshowaudiodevicessoftware
IEEE Spectrum
IEEE Spectrum
FOR THE TECHNOLOGY INSIDER

Topics

AerospaceArtificial IntelligenceBiomedicalClimate TechComputingConsumer ElectronicsEnergyHistory of TechnologyRoboticsSemiconductorsTelecommunicationsTransportation

Sections

FeaturesNewsOpinionCareersDIYEngineering Resources

More

NewslettersPodcastsSpecial ReportsCollectionsExplainersTop Programming LanguagesRobots Guide ↗IEEE Job Site ↗

For IEEE Members

Current IssueMagazine ArchiveThe InstituteThe Institute Archive

For IEEE Members

Current IssueMagazine ArchiveThe InstituteThe Institute Archive

IEEE Spectrum

About UsContact UsReprints & Permissions ↗Advertising ↗

Follow IEEE Spectrum

Support IEEE Spectrum

IEEE Spectrum is the flagship publication of the IEEE — the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences. Our articles, podcasts, and infographics inform our readers about developments in technology, engineering, and science.
Join IEEE
Subscribe

Follow IEEE Spectrum

Support IEEE Spectrum

IEEE Spectrum is the flagship publication of the IEEE — the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences. Our articles, podcasts, and infographics inform our readers about developments in technology, engineering, and science.
Subscribe
About IEEEContact & SupportAccessibilityNondiscrimination PolicyTermsIEEE Privacy PolicyCookie PreferencesAd Privacy Options