TOCA Social London — LED Pixel Installation

Venue: TOCA Social London. Requirement: an LED pixel installation controlled by Resolume and Madrix to deliver scheduled and triggered pixel-mapped visual shows for a busy hospitality environment. Pro Technical was engaged to design and implement the pixel array, the addressing and control infrastructure, media-server playback nodes, and the network and power distribution necessary for reliable daily operation. Deliverables included installation drawings, commissioning reports and handover documentation for venue staff.

The project constraints documented during planning were operational: the venue had trading hours that limited intrusive works, restricted access for large-scale maintenance, and required a resilient playback chain to avoid visible failures during service. The installation needed to support low-latency playback for mapped media, simple operator control for front-of-house staff, and serviceable cabling and power distribution to minimise on-site downtime when repairs were required.

Pro Technical specified a split-control architecture: Resolume was used as the media-server and compositing/playback platform while Madrix handled pixel-mapping and real-time pixel effects. This separation defined clear technical boundaries—media asset management and timeline playback remained on the media-server, whereas pixel addressing and effect engines ran on the pixel controller software. Network design placed pixel control traffic (Art-Net/sACN) on a dedicated, managed VLAN with device-level DHCP reservations and static addresses for controllers. Power distribution incorporated local RCD protection, in-rack surge suppression and labelled feeds to accelerate fault diagnosis. Mounting frames and cable routes were chosen to comply with fire and building-safety constraints and to allow removal of LED segments with minimal rework.

Installed systems: LED pixel system controlled by Resolume and Madrix. The control chain comprised media-server hosts running Resolume, separate Madrix nodes for pixel mapping and effects, managed network switches configured with IGMP snooping and rate limits, and local power distribution units with RCD protection and surge suppression. Pixel runs were organised into logical chains with documented start/end points and controller port assignments. All network devices used a dedicated VLAN to segregate pixel traffic from general venue IT.

Works began with a measured site survey to record structural fixings, ceiling void access and cable routes. Mounting frames were specified to meet safety constraints and to enable removal without major rework. Cabling followed a tiered approach: primary power feeds to local distribution units, secondary fused runs to LED segments and separate low-voltage cabling for control traffic. Pixel data cabling was labelled at both ends and delivered with an as‑installed cable schedule. Health and safety controls included risk assessments for working at height and scheduled coordination windows to avoid peak trading hours.

Commissioning tested three measurable outcomes: correct pixel mapping across the array, timing and latency between the media-server output and pixel refresh, and resilience under continuous playback. Tests included sustained-playback endurance runs, failover checks for controller or network loss and verification of power-inrush characteristics. Show files were version-controlled and a known-good playback snapshot was stored locally to permit fast recovery. Acceptance documentation comprised a commissioning report, IP addressing table and a signed snag list. Network risk mitigations implemented during commissioning included managed switches with IGMP snooping and rate-limits to reduce the impact of misconfigured devices.

Pro Technical delivered a pixel array and control architecture that supported scheduled and triggered visual shows using Resolume and Madrix with documented addressing, power distribution and network configuration. Handover materials provided to the venue included labelled wiring diagrams, a photo index of controller and power locations, backup copies of show files and a short technical guide for FOH staff. Operator training and an operational run-through were carried out to ensure staff could call pre-programmed cues from a simple control tablet or local PC and revert to a house-safe visual if required.

Where venues require ongoing technical support Pro Technical offers scheduled health checks, firmware updates and spare-part recommendations, plus emergency callouts and repair services. For more about service and repairs see Pro Service & Repairs: /service-repair/ or contact the Pro Technical team via the Contact page.