CAE, maker of the "littlelite" celebrates 25th.

CAE (formerly "Custom Audio Electronics") is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. In 1975 James Fackert, a lighting industry icon, started his business in the basement of a country house country near Ypsilanti, Michigan. His first project was building a sound system for Emerson, Lake & Palmer, including the sound console from scratch. It was the first touring console with stereo submasters and three-band equalizer.

Lighting companies were in their infancy then, and it was rare for a touring group to use anything other than follow spots. CAE did custom work for production companies, and the company was asked to modify some theatrical lighting equipment, adding some features such as bump buttons and chasers.

It designed and built the Rainbo[TM] consoles, which were the first lighting consoles that were actually designed for touring. The company then decided that a need existed for a touring console with submasters that was "ready to go," and the LP-1000 (the original Leprecon[R]) was the result. Leprecon[R] now produces a wide range of products, which are distributed around the world, from single-scene six-channel consoles and small six-channel three-mount dimmers to 196-channel touring and installation racks and 96/192W channel consoles, such as the new LP-3000 memory console.

When the company began modifying theatrical lighting consoles, Fackert often added work lights. The work lights available at that time either were too bulky or broke constantly, so the company designed its own. A number of people saw the lights on the Leprecon[R] consoles and started to ask where they got them. The CAE people responded, "We'll be glad to sell you some." ... and the Littlite[R] division was born.

Today Littlites are the standard work lamp of the professional audio and lighting industries. They are distributed worldwide and seen in film, television, radio stations, and everywhere a task lamp is needed.