Alcorn McBride’s new distributor carries deep ties to themed entertainment
by Gabrielle Russon
Frank Ruisch can roll up his sleeves to show off the tattoo of an Alcorn McBride V16X show controller on his upper arm. “See? The V16X show controller is really that good!” says Ruisch. Earlier in 2025, he became Alcorn McBride’s Channel Partner and Reseller in the European Union and the United Kingdom, distributing Alcorn’s technology across the themed entertainment industry.
Ruisch, in case you couldn’t tell, is all in on Alcorn McBride. He is the ultimate brand ambassador after discovering and using the products at theme parks for over 20 years. Growing up in The Netherlands, 17-year-old Ruisch’s first summer job was performing as Bugs Bunny at Six Flags Holland (now the Compagnie des Alpes park Walibi Holland). He dressed in the famous cartoon rabbit costume – ears included – working in the entertainment department, but even by that point, he was already a whiz in sound design.
Ruisch remembered tagging along with his dad who sold AV systems for discotheques in Europe during his childhood. “I knew how lights were supposed to look and how audio was supposed to sound at a very young age,” he says. “I took all that info in subconsciously.”
He also had a natural knack for precision and learned that timing was everything. Those were lessons he picked up when he started ballroom dancing at age 8 and then began playing drums at 12 (something he still does to this day in a rock band).
So when the Dutch theme park decided to expand their Halloween event in 2004 the 17-year-old began moonlighting as a sound designer and special effects assistant at the park’s haunted house. With a trusting manager, absolute freedom and a tiny budget, Ruisch was able to tinker, explore and learn. Still employed as Bugs Bunny, he squeezed in time at the end of his regular shift in the haunted house.
Ruisch was scrappy and self-driven. Though he picked up technical skills on the job, his curiosity pushed him further, so he turned to the internet to learn more. He became a whiz kid and quickly learned how to use sound to build emotional tension, crafting soundtracks with elements like a pulsing heartbeat that subtly raised a guest’s fear response – intense enough to thrill, but not so overpowering that it drowned out the screams of guests further ahead in the haunted maze.
At the time, Halloween was still a novelty in The Netherlands, an undeniably American holiday just starting to gain traction, so Ruisch’s work felt fresh and groundbreaking. The park’s haunted house, with its innovative sound design and programming, was cutting-edge and an instant hit. His reward? More responsibility. He soon traded in his Bugs Bunny ears for roles in larger entertainment productions, contributing to everything from fireworks finales and scare zones to park shows and, of course, more haunted houses. “There was no education or roadmap for any of this. I just figured it out as I went and kept at it until it worked,” Ruisch says. “That’s what I’m known for.”
Frank meets Alcorn McBride
Ruisch, who attended the Dutch college Sound & Vision, returned to the theme park for an internship in 2005. His task was to program a synchronized launch sequence for the Superman roller coaster. The effect had been broken for years, so the 18-year-old installed and programmed new LED lighting, along with new audio and show control systems. The project marked a career-changing moment for Ruisch as it was when he first discovered Alcorn McBride, the Orlando-based company that’s developed a niche in creating, engineering and manufacturing show control, audio and video equipment.
Unaware where Orlando even was, Ruisch researched “show control” and realized Alcorn McBride’s products were the answer. He bought a used Alcorn McBride DMX Machine on eBay and paired it with a well-worn Alcorn McBride MP3 Machine he found on a shelf at work. He pored over the show control course manual until everything worked reliably for the launch. It was magic. After years, the attraction effects were fully functional once again. The alarm rang out and strobe lights pulsed to build excitement as riders launched forward on the ride. From that moment on, Ruisch was hooked on Alcorn McBride: “That’s the point I knew this is what I want to do.”
Alcorn McBride’s technology worked seamlessly to help him elevate theme park experiences for guests. “At first I frequently tried to make ends meet with laptop computers,” he says. “But once I found Alcorn McBride, that was it for the laptops. Alcorn’s products always work. You don’t have to wonder if you have the latest system update.”
Frank makes moves
By 2011 Ruisch was ready to start out on his own. He left his job at the park and started his own company AV SyncWorks, dealing almost exclusively with Alcorn McBride products. As a freelancer, he still handled Walibi Holland’s AV projects and also gained the freedom to explore other arenas. He composed soundtracks, did show control, ride syncing, special effects and show programming for experiences across Europe.
One particularly complex project was the remastering and reprogramming of audio for Efteling’s iconic Carnaval Festival dark ride, in collaboration with the park’s Creative Engineer, Bram van Sprang. A key challenge was updating the system so that, in the event of an unexpected ride stop, the music would seamlessly transition to a short finale no matter where guests were in the ride or song. Once the ride resumed, a “conductor” cue (“1-2-3-4”) would bring the music back in right on beat.
“That was a crazy thing to execute,” Ruisch says. “I had to map hundreds of cue points and produce matching audio files with multiple endings, each tailored to the ride’s various musical motifs. The programming tree was incredibly complex.”
Over in North America, Ruisch composed the soundtracks and did full AV for SeaWorld Orlando’s haunted houses at Howl-o-Scream. Once again, Ruisch credits Alcorn McBride for helping save the day. SeaWorld’s large lighting controller at the park was too complex and overkill for the haunted houses, Ruisch said. He drove over to meet Mike Polder, Alcorn McBride’s longtime head of tech support, who is known for keeping stockpiles of old equipment on hand, Ruisch says. The two made a deal: a six-pack of Guinness in exchange for a trusted old DMX Machine. The agreement saved Ruisch three extra days of programming and learning a new lighting console.
All in with Alcorn
When the theme park industry was shut down during the pandemic and work dried up, Ruisch’s relationship with Alcorn McBride only strengthened. The company had connected him with Birket Engineering for work at Universal Studios Singapore in 2021. Ruisch did the control system retrofit and the reprogramming of Alcorn McBride systems on the Shrek 4-D Adventure show and Lights, Camera, Action! special effects show.
Having Alcorn McBride’s help during the financial crisis as the industry shut down moved Ruisch and forever impacted him. “It’s kind of my second family,” he says of his relationship with Alcorn McBride, and a big part of the reason he got the V16X show controller tattooed on his arm following the Singapore work.
Post-COVID, Ruisch’s business has continued to evolve. He rebranded his company Thematic Development, and more recently took on the new role with Alcorn. He is more than just a distributor for Alcorn McBride products in Europe and the United Kingdom. He provides training on the company’s latest X Series product line, including an AVIXA-certified class on WinScript Live 6 programming software. Additionally, Ruisch, who is opening an office in Wageningen in The Netherlands, will also be attending IAAPA Expo in Orlando to represent Alcorn McBride and reintroduce himself to the industry.
For Alcorn McBride, bringing Ruisch’s company on as a Partner made sense. His years of experience with the product lines and immense knowledge of show control, media playback, and system integration were undeniable. “He knows it instantly – better than some of our employees,” says Devin Flannery, Alcorn McBride’s Solutions Architect. “He grew up in it.”
Clients easily connect with Ruisch, whose high energy and charisma are complemented by his experience in the field, Flannery says. Ruisch’s European roots also come into play. “He understands the market and the European players. The industry there is currently undergoing a renaissance of sorts, with more technically advanced projects that benefit from Alcorn McBride products. Having Ruisch on the team helps bridge the gaps between the client, the project and the products,” Flannery says.
“The vernacular is different, and the expectations aren’t always the same as they are here in America,” Flannery continues. “We couldn’t ask for a better Alcorn McBride ambassador. Frank understands the market, he swears by our products and he has an incredible amount of frontline knowledge. He is not only an asset for us, but also for our clients who can benefit from his years of experience.”
To meet Ruisch in person, schedule a meeting with him during IAAPA Expo by visiting thematicdevelopment.com/contact, emailing [email protected], or stopping by the Alcorn McBride booth (#1869).
