as far as I remember what he was writing about a simple setup - it was a stabilzed (voltage) halogen floodlight w/ gel(s), reflected off brushed aluminium metal surface on the target (not a direct illumination)
I guess you mean this one:
Well, a uniform and very flat grey cover sheet helps to make light setup less demanding through the application of flat field, but the point re halogen flood lights with CTB filters still stands.
Flat field is especially important these days because sensors add digital vignetting (and sometimes it is non-neutral, too; meaning the colour is changing) on top of lens vignetting. Playing with lights to compensate for digital vignetting is a waste.
