Wired has an interesting look at NIN’s stage show, looking at how the band uses old and new technology to create spectacular images live:

With more than 40 tons of lighting and stage rigging, hundreds of LED lights, a daunting array of professional and custom-built machinery running both archaic and standard commercial VJ software, three different video systems and an array of sensors and cameras, the tour is nothing if not a lavish display of techno wizardry.

According to Reznor, it all started with a relatively simple idea.

“I wanted to see how I could use video as an instrument,” he says, “and try to really make the stage feel like it’s organic — like it’s part of the overall set.”

 

The core of the show is a sophisticated trio of transparent “stealth” screens, which are raised and lowered during the performance.

Using one high-resolution (1024 x 288) Barco D7 screen — basically, an opaque, computer-controlled screen comprised of a tiny LED system on modular panels — and two lower-resolution semitransparent screens up front, Reznor and other band members are able to trigger and control various video loops and effects directly from the stage. The musicians can also interact directly with those visuals onscreen during the show, thanks to a sophisticated array of sensors and cameras.

 

The full article is worth a read if your a NIN fan or if you’re interested in state of the art concert visuals. 

Image: mcpancakes