For some, the name 'CIRQ' may remind them of acrobatics and performance. However, London’s new heart of functional fitness CIRQ is no place for clowning around.
Put simply, you're busy, train smart.
CIRQ is the brainchild of fitness visionary Robert Burstein, who was on a mission to create the ultimate circuit workout and gamify group exercise. CIRQ is a fully immersive HIIT & Circuit workout that revolves around the user to create the perfect blend of instruction and freedom in fitness.
CIRQ consists of two fully immersive studios, each fitted with dedicated - per station instruction screens. The digital signage system was supplied by UNILED with interface, audio and lighting taken care by ON LX’s internal system. Unlike with other venues, the instructors don’t need to be technicians, they can spend time making sure attendees get the best out of every workout.
After seeing ON LX’s previous project portfolio and custom software suite, Burstein approached ON LX with the challenge of bringing the control system element of his technically advanced fitness facility vision to reality allowing the space to facilitate group, PT or Automated sessions.
A key requirement was to keep audio current, fresh and ever changing, and the lighting - relevant.
ON LX’s system allowed instructors to produce a playlist on Spotify prior to the class and play it as soon as they arrived. The system functioned seamlessly giving intructors confidence that the lighting would be synchronised to the beat, the volume would change and the whistles would trigger in time with the screens, reliably delivering the immersive experience for the clients.
Both Ctrl for iPad and Ctrl Suite were used to run all offline processing to bring all elements of the system together.
Both studios ran completely independently, which allowed system servicing or studio cleaning without causing any interference or disturbance to parallel ongoing classes.
Finally, safety was critical. If the fire alarm was triggered at any point, the audio was muted and the lighting and screens returned to static states. iPad interfaces returned to default screen logo, all screens stabilised and the dynamic lighting was set to a standard level.
Visit cirq.life to see what all the fuss is about. Voted No.1 in GQ Magazines ‘Best Fitness Class in London’ and featuring in London's Evening Standard.
The Technical Bits
ON LX were responsible for the dynamic lighting design and full control systems integration ensuring all elements of the system would function as intended, day in, day out.
To ensure flexible servicing, two custom 1U Ctrl servers were built for 24/7 operation, allowing for remote management and control of the system in each studio individually with scheduled out of hours system updates. Ctrl for iPad formed the front end system by taking care of all user interfaces and matching the brand’s aesthetic. Interfaces combined audio level, music choice, lighting and session type.
Ctrl for iPad was installed in each studio and was powered via Power over Ethernet (PoE).
Both LED pixel and dynamic DMX lighting controls were wired to a last-man-out circuit, eliminating unnecessary out-of-hours operation.
If you want to find out more about Ctrl for iPad or other bespoke software services ON LX offers, please get in touch.
