Sometimes an idea is so good it keeps coming back. That’s just what happened with the Draper Acrobat – a utility lineset used to suspend AV products including projection screens from the ceiling. A couple of years ago we decided to phase it out and concentrate on other products. But time after time, people kept bringing us situations where we would say to ourselves, “The Acrobat would be perfect for this.”
And so, this most versatile solution has bounced back onto the Pro AV stage! Here are 6 reasons we think you’ll flip over the return of the Acrobat!
A gold medal for all around performance.
The 1,000-pound lifting capacity also allows Acrobat to easily handle many different AV and other products:
- Projection Screens
- Lights
- Speakers
- LED Video Walls
- Backdrops
- Background sets
- Scenery
- Draperies
- Curtains
- Scrims
- Signs/Banners
Providing sheer poise and balance.
Acrobat’s streamlined design makes it easy to order and install. It can be ordered as a complete assembly or in select sub-assemblies to address unique jobsite requirements. Each Acrobat is made to order with the drive pipe cut to size. Universal mounting brackets can be mounted parallel or perpendicular to steel beams or using 4” diameter steel pipe. Only two cable drops are required when attaching electric projection screens.
Ready with an immaculate floor routine.
The Acrobat isn’t just useful for lowering AV equipment into performance position. One problem with suspended speakers, projectors, screens, LEDs, lights, and other AV equipment is performing maintenance or repairs way up above the floor. With Acrobat you simply lower the equipment all the way down to maximum drop for easier access!
Strength and safety run rings around other solutions.
Safety is at the top of the design list for anything heavy that is mounted high above people. Each end of the Acrobat assembly is fitted with a safety belt to keep the screen or other equipment from falling, in the unlikely event that the aircraft cable should fail.
An aerial performance without parallel.
Installing a large projection screen from a high ceiling can be difficult and expensive. It requires a lot of extra fabric (a.k.a. extra drop) to get the viewing surface down to viewable height. This can create surface flatness issues, plus you have a distracting piece of black fabric hanging down into the room above the image.
Acrobat can lower projection screens up to 34 feet, eliminating the need for an extensive amount of black drop.
Acrobatic flexibility vaults this solution to the top of your list of must-haves.
LED video walls are showing up in more and more places. Typically these must have a support structure that adds a great deal of weight, and the Acrobat is great for small walls that fall under that 1,000 pound limit. But many rental and staging LED cabinets can be flown without a support structure. They connect internally and are suspended from a hanging bar at the top. Because of this, the LED solution is much lighter and even larger units work with the Acrobat in applications such as Houses of Worship, live events, and various stage applications.
Control options range from a basic wall switch to contact closure for tying into third-party control systems.
For more information on the Acrobat, click here.
