22.07.2024 | Xavier Costas: Two decades of lighting success with the ONYX platform

One of Spain's most prominent lighting designers, Xavier Costas, a member of the Asociación de Autores de Iluminación (AAI), has been a cornerstone in the audiovisual industry for many years. With a career spanning television, corporate events, architectural, theater, and musical events, Xavier has made a significant mark both in Spain and internationally and turns to Obsidian's ONYX lighting control platform to bring his visionary designs to life.

Xavier's journey with ONYX began over two decades ago and over the years, he has witnessed its evolution. "ONYX has changed over time and has adapted to new technologies and the demands of programmers," he reflects. "Right now, I really like the intuitive aspect of the desk, how easily you can patch the products or fixtures you use in your designs. I also like the labeling and symbols, which are not too complicated. All the logos are easy to understand. I like the screen configuration, as you can customize the platform to your liking and can take it everywhere. With your show loaded and the configuration that works for you, you can put it on any of the shows you work with."

Despite not having directly used the DyLOS pixel composer, Xavier acknowledges the platform's revolutionary impact on the industry. "I have seen colleagues work on it, and the truth is that the platform took a big leap when it incorporated the DyLOS system. Being able to work with all the fixtures at the video level, videomapping, you can generate authentic wonder in scenes or in the shows you do."

Xavier works closely with Obsidian's Spanish distributor, AdagioPRO, and continues to stay busy. Recent projects include the magnificent lighting of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and the grand delivery of the Gaudí Awards from the Academy of Cinema of Catalonia. Currently, he is engrossed in preparing for the prestigious America's Cup in Barcelona, which starts in August, as well as the championships of the Kings & Queens League that take place in Spain.

To ensure his designs are flawless, Xavier uses Capture visualization software for pre-programming, rendering, and testing. "It is one of the essential tools for any designer when presenting their projects to clients and really seeing if the performance of the fixtures that you are going to install is really suitable for the design," he explains.

In conjunction with the ONYX desks, Xavier employs NETRON data distribution nodes. He praises the seamless communication between the desk and the splitter, highlighting their ease of configuration and flawless interaction with both small and large desks. "In my case, I have been using desks from the small [ONYX controller] to the larger [ONYX controller], and with all of them, there is direct communication without problems."