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Electronic Kabuki Drop Systems

Note: It would be best to first be familiar with the Basic Components of the Kabuki Drop to better understand the systems explored below.

Modern designs of the Kabuki Drop use electronic systems that use an electric current to activate the drop point mechanism.

The Kabuki Drop can be triggered by a switch and can also be hooked up to a DMX control panel or other split connectors. DMX or DMX512 (Digital Multiplex) is a standard for digital communication networks that are commonly used to control stage lighting and effects.

Photo Credit: Gerriets

The benefits of electronic Kabuki Drop systems are that they can be triggered remotely, far away from stage and each individual drop point can also be controlled individually if desired. Electronic systems provide precise releases that can be programmed into a DMX control panel and integrated with an elaborate perfectly-timed lighting and special effects sequence.

Some reliability problems with electronic systems that result in a failure for a complete Kabuki Drop include a drop in voltage when firing multiple drop units, faulty electronic parts, communication errors or malfunctions with the DMX program.

Many models of Electronic Kabuki Drops are also noisy with a distinct loud clicking or buzzing sound upon activation.

Electronic Kabuki Drops can be expensive. Renting a system can cost up to hundreds of dollars and purchasing a system will cost thousands.

While each system features different type of catches, latches, pins, hooks and release mechanisms, most electronic kabuki drops generally use a solenoid as the main activation mechanism.

However, the solenoid can take on two forms, namely:

• A Linear Electromechanical Actuator
• An Electromagnetic Lock