Correction: PRG ADDS Bad Boy Fixture With CMY Mixing

Looks like I was a little wrong earlier today. PRG is not replacing their Bad Boy fixture that has quantum color mixing, but adding a new version of the Bad Boy with CMY mixing. Here is the clarification note I got from PRG.

The Bad Boy CMY is not a re-introduction of the Bad Boy but rather a new second model. Both the Bad Boy with the Quantum Color and the Bad Boy CMY will be available. There are two models not a replacement. Many designers like the Bad Boy with Quantum Color (known simply as the Bad Boy) , especially in the concert lighting world.  Now designers in all markets have the choice of which model Bad Boy they wish to use that best serves their design needs.

Here is a little bit more about the new Bad Boy CMY.

Debuting at PLASA on the PRG stand will be the PRG Bad Boy CMY® automated luminaire with seamless color crossfading technology. Allowing designers to fade between colors easily and simply while still having all the features, including the superior optics and precision movement, that have made the PRG Bad Boy an industry-wide success. An ideal choice whenever a big-beam look is required, for example, when playing in front of high-brightness LED screens. Producing a powerful 48,000 lumens, the Bad Boy CMY couples its high-definition optics with a Philips MSR Gold™ FastFit lamp that can be set to levels 900W, 1,200W, or 1,400W. Boasting an optical efficiency of over 40%, Bad Boy CMY doubles standard efficiencies, marrying both brightness and green product ideals without compromise.

Update: More Info On Robes 7 New Fixtures at PLASA 2010

Robe Launches another 7 groundbreaking new environmentally friendly products at PLASA 2010 – in addition to the ROBIN LEDWash 600 and 300 fixtures that were detailed in a separate press release.

These latest developments are all part of Robe’s new “Think of the Future – Consider Nature” drive, which underlines the company’s commitment to developing truly unique, genuinely power saving products that are smaller, lighter, brighter and utilising the latest lightsource technology and control systems, but with all the intensity and output of their predecessors that used more powerful lamps.

ROBIN MMX Spot

The Robe ROBIN MMX Spot is built on the successful ROBIN platform and has an  optimized optical path utilizing a brand new 800 W discharge lamp, this combination produces prominent light output which exceeds that of the currently available 1200W discharge fixtures.

Many features include a speedy 8.5 – 42.5 zoom range, complemented by two rotating gobo wheels and a revolutionary  designed animation wheel (patent pending) which can be combined for the creation of spectacular and complex new effects. DMX controlled noise reduction of the unique cooling system make this fixture ideal for low noise environments needing high light output.

Other features include a CMY and CTO dichroic colour flag system, for smooth and quick colour mixing, variable frost effect and remote beam flatness and hot-spot control. The RNS2 navigation system has an LCD touch screen, battery back-up and gravity sensor for auto screen positioning, so it’s always the right way up whatever the orientation of the fixture.

ROBIN® 600 Plasma Spot

The mega-bright ROBIN® 600 Plasma Spot moving light maximises all the unique possibilities offered by the highly innovative Plasma lamp technology – a usage that Robe has pioneered in the moving light industry.

This includes a perfect colour rendering index (CRI) of 94, an extremely flat and even light beam (1:1.5) and a lamp lifespan of over 10,000 hours with a very powerful output of high quality light. The ROBIN® 600 Plasma Spot can provide lighting solutions in situations with very demanding requirements for all types of live events and for HD recording.

The ROBIN 600 Plasma Spot uses the Luxim Lifi ENT 31-04 480W plasma lamp source, with a Luminous Flux of 30,000 Lm and a CCT of 5600 K. It has a linear motorised zoom of 10 – 40 degrees for additional dynamics, fast and smooth colour mixing via a CTO and CMY dichroic colour flag system in conjunction with a light homogenisation system. It has a frost effect, both rotating and static gobo wheels, rotating indexable prism and very fast motorised iris, electronic dimming of between 20 and 100 % plus a highly effective strobe,

ROBIN 600E Spot

The ROBIN® 600E Spot has a dramatically increased light output (compared to the ROBIN 300 Series) and lower power requirements, thanks to a hot-rodded optical path made from carefully selected components.

The super strong light-output can be maximised by using ROBE´s unique Hot Spot Control system, together with the linear iris to create very powerful tight beam effects. An innovative patented cooling system ensures the best lamp operating temperatures and allows DMX controlled noise reduction. Users have complete control of all features of this fixture, making it ideal for low noise applications which also need high light output – like theatres and presentations.

It uses the new Philips MSR Gold 575/2 MiniFastFit lamp, giving a CCT of 7,400° K and a luminous flux of 36,000 Lm, along with a CRI of 68 and 750 hours lamp life.

The linear motorized zoom of 10°– 45° (2° – min. zoom with iris, 56° – max. zoom with frost) increases the dynamics and scope of the unit, which also has a CMY + CTO dichroic colour flag system for smooth, fast colour mixing. There is a colour wheel with 7 + 1 user replaceable magnetic “SLOT & LOCK” trapezoid shaped positions, and 2 gobo wheels – one rotating and one static, plus a 3-facet 11° rotating indexable prism. The motorized iris is extremely fast and the electronic ballast can help create amazing dimming and strobing effects.

ROBIN 600E Wash

The ROBIN® 600 Wash also features a massively increased light output and lower power requirements – thanks to an optimized optical path. The HotSpot Control on the Wash 600 is even more sensitive using the powerful Philips MSR Gold 575/2 MiniFastFit lamp. A unique silent control system enables users to carefully adjust to the desired noise levels whilst maintaining the best lamp operating temperatures, due to the newly patented lamp cooling system. All “top hat” accessories are compatible with the new ROBIN 600 Wash fixture.

The motorised zoom is from 10 – 35 degrees. A CMY + CTO dichroic colour flag system facilitates quick, smooth colour mixing and there are 7 + 1 user replaceable magnetic “SLOT & LOCK” trapezoid shaped positions on the colour wheel. The
Mechanical dimmer/shutter and electronic ballast with dimming and electronic strobing gives highly effective 1 – 10 Hz strobe effects.

ROBIN® 600E Beam

The ROBIN® 600 Beam has an amazing linear iris ranging between 1 and 6.5 degrees. By implementing this feature over a wider range, users can have full control over the beam size. More gobos in the gobo wheels enhance customizable beam shaping. Two black-hole positions are available for a full and fast blackout in dark-sensitive environments. The extended focusing range additionally allows for very precise focusing, starting with closer distances.

The ROBIN 600 Beam uses the new Philips MSR Gold 575/2 MiniFastFit lamp, and has an electronic auto ranging power supply, 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz. The RNS2 – Innovated Robe Navigation System offers LCD touch screen and battery backup, with gravitation sensor for auto screen positioning whatever the fixture’s orientation and operation memory. Other features include motorized focus, variable frost effect, and pulse sequences. The very fast motorized iris, opening and closing pulses up to 3 Hz and via the mechanical dimmer/shutter, strobe effects of 1– 10 Hz can be achieved.

CityLine 48

The latest Cree multichip LED technology is harnessed in these customizable powerful LED battens with an unbeatably strong and uniform light output, suitable for all applications needing large areas washed with smooth and beautifully coloured light. Built in a durable aluminium housing with IP 65 rating with embedded power supply unit, the bright multichip LEDs are calculated to create ideal colour mixing in a single-point-source definable pixel pitch. Quietly convection cooled, control protocols like DMX and RDM allow easy setup via the Control display screen, and daisy chaining of DMX and power lines is possible via Powercon connectors. An integrated universal mounting system enables the CityLine48 to be floor mounted or hung in any position on walls or trusses.

The standard beam angle is 24°, with 38 x 24° as optional. Other features include white balance adjustment, 255 inbuilt colour Macros, a 4 digit LED display, 2 – 8 DMX control channels with RDM support and 3 user-editable programmes up to 68 steps each. It will work in stand alone mode, DMX and master/slave operation.

CityFlex48

CityFlex 48 is a great innovation. Using the latest Cree multichip LED technology, these powerful customizable units with an unbeatably strong and uniform light output are suitable for any application. The unique design (patent pending) allows multiple lighting formats from one fixture – be it a compact floodlight format, traditional linear LED format or a variety of different angled options. The fixture´s incredible flexibility means previously unobtainable effects are now available ….. from a single unit.

Housed in a durable aluminium casting IP 65 rated, the CityFlex48 is fitted with bright multichip LEDs that create excellent colour mixing in single-point-of-source with definable pixel pitch. A universal mounting system gives multiple rigging options for floor, wall or on to trussing . A separate quiet convection cooled control unit running via DMX, RDM and other protocols allows easy setup via control display screens, while DMX and power lines can be daisy chained via Powercon connectors.

Vari-Lite Shipping New VL550 Wash & VL1100 ERS Fixtures

I got super excited when I saw this email hit the inbox, Vari-Lite shipping new fixtures?!? What did I miss?!  Turns out Vari-Lite re-tooled and configured the VL500 Wash and VL100 ERS fixtures with design enhancements and eco-friendly technologies and gave them updated part numbers.  Here is more from the official press release:

Philips Vari-Lite is proud to announce that the new VL550 Wash and Vl1100 ERS luminaires are now shipping. Updating the current VL500 Wash and VL1000 ERS luminaire models, the new VL550 and VL1100 series have undergone design enhancements to provide a more quiet and smooth operation, while maintaining the same power and performance of their predecessors. Plus, each series now offers a 315W ceramic discharge lamp model, further demonstrating the Philips Vari-Lite commitment to being a market leader in eco-friendly lighting technology.

The VARI*LITE VL550 Wash luminaire is still based upon the Emmy® Award-winning VL5 Wash luminaire, but with significant design improvements, including a 50 kHz. drive system that quiets the operation of all two-phase motors in the fixture during movement
and while in static positions. This luminaire is now available in the VL550, VL550D, VL550CD, and VL550 80V models. The VL550CD model utilizes a 315W ceramic discharge lamp that offers the color temperature of tungsten, a high CRI, and an incredibly long-rated lamp life of 8,000 hours.

The current VL500A luminaire model is now being discontinued, but will continue to be serviced and supported by the Philips Vari-Lite customer support team.

As the next generation of the VL1000 ERS luminaire, all models of the VL1100 luminaire will also have a new 50 kHz. drive system that quiets the operation of all two-phase motors. Additional enhancements include new, three-phase, ultra quiet stepper motors that provide a smooth, timed continuous pan and tilt motion; and a new central bearing system in the gobo wheel reduces noise and ensures smooth operation. This luminaire is now available in the VL1100 Arc, VL1100 Tungsten, and VL1100CD models. As with the VL550CD, the VL1100CD model also utilizes a 315W ceramic discharge lamp for an 8,000 hour lamp life with more than 8,000 lumens of output, and a high CRI.

For more information on Vari-Lites new VL550 Wash and VL1100 ERS fixtures, visit their web site at www.vari-lite.com.

Elation Professional Announces Design Spot LED Mover

Elation Professional recently announced the arrival of another moving light to their Design Spot series of lights, the Deign Spot LED.  The Design Spot LED is an LED-powered version of Elation’s popular Design Spot 250 Pro DMX moving head.

At 48.5 lbs./22 kilograms, the Elation Design Spot LED weighs less than the original Design Spot 250 Pro, yet this powerful LED fixture produces a light output comparable to a 250-watt discharge lamp. It also offers the easy maintenance typically associated with LED fixtures, since its extended lamp life is 50,000 hours.

Like the original Design Spot 250 Pro, the new Design Spot LED features a variable Frost Filter, which allows it to function as a hybrid spot/wash effect. Other features include a Motorized Iris, Motorized Focus, and Variable Speed Shutter/Strobe, as well as improved optics and a flat beam field.  Dimming of the lamp is ultra smooth via internal electronic dimmer for the led and built in strobe effects of the LED source are amazingly fast.

With 9 dichroic colors, 14 gobos (7 rotating/indexing, 7 static), a 3-facet Rotating/Indexing Prism and a 15° Beam Angle included as basic features, the Design Spot LED opens unlimited creative possibilities to the lighting designer.  The fixture also includes Pan/Tilt 540/630 x 265, Mechanical Dimmer 0-100%, 16 DMX Channels, 3-pin and 5-pin DMX and a CBM-360-W-LED 90 Watt CRI 70 6,500K lamp.

The Design Spot LED measures 16.75”L x 16.75”W x 19.75”H/42.55 x 42.55 x 50.17 cm. Aside from making this ruggedly designed fixture easy to install, this compact size, together with the fixture’s  light weight, help reduce freight cost if the light is shipped from gig to gig.

The MSRP of the Design Spot LED is $3,399.95. To learn more about the Elation Design Spot LED, visit their web site at www.elationlighting.com.

Book Review: Automated Lighting, 2nd Edition By Richard Cadena

Back at USITT 2010 in Kansas City, I got a chance to catch up with the Electron Magician himself, Mr. Richard Cadena. I am always in awe when around Mr. Cadena.  Not only is he a wealth of knowledge on lighting, but the entire industry as well. During our talk, I mentioned that I would love to write a review of his just then published book, Automated Lighting: The Art and science of Moving Light in Theatre, Live Performance, and entertainment, 2nd Edition.

“No Problem”, we made a B line for the Focal Press booth on the show floor.  Not only was Focal Press kind enough to provide me with a free copy of the book, Mr. Cadena signed the book right then and there for me.  Looking back at it know, that may have not been the best idea to sign the book right there on the show floor at the Focal Press booth.  Mr. Cadena was suddenly swamped with request to sign more books from attendees that just picked up his book.  Sorry about that Mr. Cadena!

Who is the book written for

Mr. Cadena has an amazing way with words.  While there are a ton of technical terms and advance topics, he makes sure to fully describe what he mentions so even the novice can understand.  After reading the book cover to cover, I feel as though the book is geared towards every lighting technician out there. Moving lights are hear to stay.  Call them what you like, Moving lights, automated luminaries, wiggle lights, they are all just broad terms for describing a lighting that operates remotely. Almost every venue will have some sort of multi-parameter device in house as a permanent fixture or rental at some point. As with almost anything in our life, things break down and need fixing. In the entertainment lighting world, it always happens after 5pm when tech service is closed. It then falls upon us to take a look and see what is wrong with a light and maybe getting it back up and running.

While the book does go into great detail about almost every aspect of a moving light, it is certainly not a guide on how to fix any particular light.  After reading the book, I have a greater understanding of the different parts of a moving light and what can be found inside to make it work.  The book certainly does not make me a certified tech to fix anything, but I feel like I can talk a bit more intelligently to tech services when trying to diagnose what is wrong.

As with most of Mr. Cadena’s book, he always starts off with my favorite part, the history lesson.  To fully understand where we are in the industry and where we are going, we have to understand the past and how we came to where we are. Intertwined in the history, Mr. Cadena provides personal experiences and stories about certain fixtures and how they came to be.  This is something you rarely hear or read about.

Understanding Protocols, Console and Design

Toward the last half of the book, Mr. Cadena writes about some of the newer protocols, lighting consoles and designing.  Like most of the book, it is a crash course into the subject.  The information will not make you a seasoned professional, but you’ll get a good understanding of the subject matter.  The book offers a great stating off point to understanding the different subjects and at times offers additional outlets to get more information on the subjects.  Included are some great helpful hints on what to carry around with you as well as best practices for trouble shooting and analyzing gear.

As Mr. Cadena is the Electron Magician of the industry, he offers numerous calculations and formulas.  This goes way beyond the West Virginia Law of power, ( W = V * A).  As an aspiring professional, the formulas can not only save your life, but save countless hours of trouble shooting and figuring out what is wrong.

Why Add this book to your Arsenal

As the School House Rock’s Cartoon from the 80’s says, “Knowledge is power”. I am a firm believer that we must understand where we came from in history to understand where we are at currently and where we are going in the future.  So the history lessons the book provides is just one reason to pick up Mr. Cadena’s latest edition of Automated Lighting.  The book also serves as a great entry into the world of automated lighting and control for the beginner.  For those seasoned veterans of the industry, it can serve as a great reference tool for understanding those new “toys” on the market.

I highly recommend Mr. Cadena’s book, Automated Lighting, 2nd Edition to any one that has any interest in entertainment lighting. You can purchase your copy of the book through the publishers web site, www.focalpress.com for $49.95.  You can save a couple of bucks by purchasing the book through Amazon.com for $44.95.

Thanks again to Focal Press and Mr. Cadena for their support and generosity with providing me a copy of the book to do a review.  You can check out more great titles written by Mr. Cadena and other great titles for almost every aspect of theatre production by visiting Focal Press’s web site, www.focalpress.com.

GLP Introduces Volks|Light LED Moving Head

GLP or German Light Products has been steadily releasing new LED fixtures this year.  If the pace keeps up, they will have brought six new fixtures to the market by the end of the year.  This time around, GLP introduces their Volks|Light LED moving head. The Volks|Light uses 60 Luxeon Rebel high power LED’s with a life expectancy of 50,000 lamp hours.

You will find 21 Blue, 21 Green and only 18 Red LEDs within the fixture with a 11 degree feild angle.  Their is a 24 degree angle that is optional. The Volks|Light operates in 8bit mode for color and timing while Pan and tilt operate in 16bit mode for course and fine control. Thus requiring 13 DMX address to operating including timing on the fixture, speed, shutter, dimmer and of course macro’s on color. So yes, the Volks|Light operates of standard DMX protocol.  What is disappointing is that it uses a 3pin XLR connector rather then the industry standard 5pin.

Weighing in at just over 17lbs, the fixture is light weight and can be mounted in almost any position. As it is an LED fixture, the Volks|Light consumes 180 watts of power at full on and operates between 100v ~ 240v.  I could not find any specific information on output or pricing of the fixture.

For more information, visit GLP’s web site at www.glp.de.

City Theatrical Announces Vari-Lite VLX Accessories

City Theatrical just put out their March Newsletter with a bit of interesting news.  Looks like City Theatrical is starting to make accessories for Vari-Lite’s VLX LED moving Light. In the announcement of the Vari-Lite accessories, City details why and how they come up with lighting accessories for different types of lights.  A pretty interesting read.

So what are these new accessories for the VLX?  The first one, pictured to the left is City Theatricals, VLX Louver, Part number 2661.  The louver helps stop light leak out the front of the fixture and helps focus the light beam.

The other VLX accessory is the VLX Top Hat, part number 2660.  The top hat is pretty easy to understand what it does. The two new Vari-Lite accessories have not made it to City Theatrical’s web site yet, or a price posted either.

Visit City Theatrical’s web site at www.citytheatrical.com to sign up for their newsletter at the bottom of the home page.

Barco/High End Welcomes Intellaspot XT-1 at ProLight + Sound

Barco/High End Systems just announced their offerings at ProLight + Sound this morning. One of the new offerings form the company is the new Intellaspot XT-1.  They also announced a new hybrid switcher and mixer for video/ lighting controller, the SDI-DMX Mixer Pro. Here is more from the press release.

Two new product announcements round out Barco’s new offerings at the 2010 Pro Light and Sound expo. First is the SDI-DMX Mixer Pro, a hybrid switcher that offers users the ability to switch, mix and matrix four video inputs to four video outputs — directly from any DMX lighting controller. Today’s controllers are required to interface with an ever-increasing number of sources and destinations, such as DL.3s, DML-1200s, Axon media servers, cameras, projectors and screens. To ease and simplify the overall control task, the new SDI-DMX Mixer Pro places the power of video switching and crossfades directly into the lighting designer’s hands.

The second and most important product announcement is the brilliant new intellaspot XT-1, an advanced lighting fixture from Barco that’s designed to set a new benchmark in price and performance for mid-market customers. As the industry’s newest professional moving luminaire, the intellaspot XT-1 follows last year’s successful introduction of Cyberlight 2.0. The intellaspot XT-1 offers remarkable innovations in optics, lamp configurations, high lumen output, energy efficiency, zoom range, and overall feature set — all at a highly economical price point. The intellaspot XT-1 is slated for release at the end of Q2.

Photos and prices have not been announced on either of the two new products. They are on display in Barco/High Ends stand at ProLight + Sound this week.  If you are attending the show in Frankfurt Germany, be sure to stop by and snag some pictures to share.

UPDATE:

Looks like Barco/High End just posted a short video and more information on the Intellaspot XT-1 on their web site – www.barco.com

Robe Launching 11 New Products at ProLight + Sound

Robe Lighting is kicking of the year with 11 new products being launched next week at ProLight + Sound 2010 in Frankfurt Germany. Robe is expanding their ROBIN series of moving lights by adding 6 new fixture while also increasing their LED line up of fixtures by adding to the LEDForce series of products.

ColorBeam 2500E AT™

Following the phenomenal success of Robe’s ColorBeam 700E AT, a brand new high powered ColorBeam 2500E AT™ fixture is launched – and becomes the most powerful moving head yet to be designed and produced by Robe.

ColorBeam 2500E AT™ delivers an exceptionally bright and intense beam light output, and is designed for the large scale applications where extremely powerful tight beam-effect fixtures are required. A Multi-step zoom facility provides variable beam size from between 1.5 and 10 degrees. Rotating gobos and rotating prisms can be used to create spectacular mid-air effects and there is also full CMY/CTO and variable frost for creating fabulous washing effects in a wide variety of colours.

This very exciting product has been developed in response to feedback from designers and specifiers of all types, and is in a class of its own. It uses a compact high-pressure Philips MSR Gold 1500 FastFit metal halide lamp and has a dichroic glass reflector for maximising the light efficiency.

ColorSpot 1200E AT Profile™

The Profile version of Robe’s flagship ColorSpot 1200E AT series drew a lot of interest from theatre and TV market after its preview at the last PLASA show. On top of many the features and functions of the ColorSpot 1200E AT it has inbuilt modular framing shutters that enable the fixture to be used like any standard profile discharge lightsource, when very precise framing and pin-pointing of objects and areas onstage is required. For full flexibility, the framing shutter module uses 4 rotating blades, and the final framed image can also be rotated. A newly included linear variable frost allows smooth scene transitions and blends.

ROBIN® 600E Spot

The ROBIN 600E Spot has an incredibly bright light output – thanks to a special optical system and new Philips 575W discharge lamp it is giving the same or higher output than 700W fixtures on the market today, which makes it also a super energy-efficient. The very strong light-output can be maximised by using ROBE‘s unique HotSpot Control system together with the linear iris to create very powerful beam effects. The hot spot intensity is even brighter than that of 1200W fixtures!

An innovative patented cooling system ensures the best lamp operating temperatures and allows DMX controlled noise reduction. Users have complete control of all features on this fixture, making it ideal for environments where noise levels are critical and light output requirements are high. The lightsource is a brand new compact high-pressure metal halide Philips MSR Gold 575/2 MiniFastFit lamp, just launched at the Frankfurt show.

ROBIN® 600E Wash

The ROBIN 600E Wash also features a fantastic light output and lower power requirements – thanks to the new 575W lamp and optimized optical path comprising of carefully selected components. A unique silent control system enables users to carefully adjust the desired noise levels while maintaining the best lamp operating temperatures, due to the newly patented lamp cooling system. All “top hat” accessories are compatible with the new ROBIN 600E Wash fixture.

ROBIN® 600E Beam

The ROBIN 600E Beam has an amazing linear iris ranging between 1 and 6.5 degrees. By implementing this feature over a wider range, users can have full control over the beam size. It has also enabled the provision of more gobos in the gobo wheels for customizable beam shaping. Two ‘black-hole’ positions are available for a full and fast blackout in dark-sensitive environments. The extended focusing range also allows for very precise focusing, starting with the closer distances.

Robe’s ROBIN ‘Classic’ series offers all the functionality and quality engineering of the ROBIN brand in a compact and cost-effective package ideal for multiple applications.

ROBIN® 300 Beam Classic

The Robin 300 Beam Classic uses a Philips MSD Gold 300/2 Mini FastFit lamp and has a beam angle of 1.5 °– 6.5 °, complete with dichroic glass reflector for maximising the light output. There is a colour wheel with 7 replaceable ‘Slot&Lock’ dichroic filters, plus both static and rotating gobo wheels. A variable frost effect ensures a smooth transition in effect from a beam light to a regular wash light and there is also full dimming, variable strobe effect and pan/tilt of 540/260 degrees. The lamp is a compact high-pressure metal halide Philips MSD Gold 300/2 MiniFastFit.

ROBIN® 300 Spot Classic

This fixture has a host of specially designed modular features including a 12°–36° zoom, colour wheel, rotating gobo wheel, colour/gobo wheel, rotating prism and many others. The ROBIN 300 Spot Classic is a punchy profile fixture with features such as linear zoom, a full package of rotating gobos, colour – gobo wheel including 4 colours and 5 static gobos and a standard colour wheel. Up to 24 colour mixes can be achieved with a combination of the colour and colour/gobo wheels.

ROBIN® 300 Wash Classic

This is a flexible, lightweight, silent fixture with a zoom range of 10 °– 35 °. The compact dimensions of the ROBIN 300 Wash Classic make it easy to conceal in smaller spaces and for more discreet installations, whilst providing an extremely efficient light output and a stunning colour range from the gentlest of pastels to the richest of saturates. The enhanced CMS system mixes real colour correction quickly and accurately. The 7+1 colour wheel with its easily replaceable magnetic positions can spin rainbow effects at high and low speeds.

Light4ce

Robe uses its considerable expertise and resources in LED manufacture to launch Light4ce – a new series of LED products. LEDForce LED PARs have been developed to complement and/or replace conventional PARs in clubs, installations, rental applications and any other market needing a true “workhorse” fixture. Bringing all the advantages of low power, LEDForce products are virtually maintenance free and have a massively longer life expectancy than conventional PARs.

LEDForce 7™ RGB/RGBW

This unit utilises a new compact tri-colour and quad-colour LED technology driven by a 7 x 3 in 1 RGB LED or a 7 x 3 in 1 RGBW LED multichip, all in a tough small housing.
The fixture features a very bright beam, smooth homogenised colour mixing with no pixelating or multi-colour shadows.

LEDForce 18 eXterior™ RGB/RGBW & LEDForce 18™ RGB/RGBW

This fixture also uses tri-colour and quad-colour LED technology with an 18 x 3 in 1 RGB LED or an 18 x 3 in 1 RGBW LED multichip. It is IP 65 rated for external use, and has superior colour mixing with no multi-colour shadows. The extremely bright beam has a 25° angle, and it’s housed in a tough aluminium die cast shell. The LEDForce 18™ RGB/RGBW fixture is an indoor unit with exactly the same spec as the LEDForce 18 eXterior™ RGB/RGBW.

You can see all 11 new products along with other products that Robe makes at ProLight + Sound in Frankfurt Germany starting March 24 through the 27.  Visit the Robe stand at C35 in Hall 11.1.  You can also learn more about these fixtures by visiting www.robe.cz.

Elation Focuses on Compact & Energy-Efficient Lights at ProLight + Sound

This year at ProLight + Sound in Frankfurt Germany, Elation Professional is focusing their product lineup on energy efficiency.  With the growing trend of LEDs and “Going Green”, Elation is showing off a couple of fixtures that not only are energy-efficient, but also pack a punch with some of the features and light output that we have come to expect in certain fixtures.  Here is a little info on just a couple of the fixtures that Elation will be showing of at Prolight + Sound 2010.

Platinum Spot 5R – This DMX moving head produces an output comparable to a 575-watt fixture, yet is half the size, uses less than half the energy and weighs half as much as a typical 250-watt fixture!.  The secret is its advanced MSD Platinum 5R technology, a revolutionary lamp source from Philips, which rated at 2,000 hours, also burns twice as long as a conventional 575-watt fixture’s lamp.  Additionally, the Platinum Spot 5R moves faster than traditional moving heads on pan and tilt, as well as on color-gobo changes. It offers a full complement of professional design features, including: 8 dichroic colors; 22 gobos (8 rotating/indexing, 14 static); 3-Facet Rotating Prism effect; Variable Frost; Motorized Iris; Motorized Focus; Variable speed Shutter/Strobe; and 0-100% Mechanical Dimmer.

Design Spot LED —   An LED-powered version of Elation’s popular Design Spot 250 Pro DMX moving head, the Design Spot LED weighs less than the original model while offering output equal to a 250-watt discharge lamp plus an extended 50,000-hour LED lamp life.  It offers all the same features as the original, including a Variable Frost Filter, which allows it to function as a hybrid spot/wash effect, and a Motorized Iris and Motorized Focus. Nine dichroic colors, 14 gobos (7 rotating/indexing, 7 static) and a 3-facet Rotating/Indexing Prism are also included.

E Spot LED – A 14-channel DMX spot effect with a 50,000-hour rated  LED light source, the E Spot LED has an output greater than a standard 150-watt discharge fixture, while consuming about half the energy. At a featherweight 25 lbs. and petite 8”L x 11.8”W x 17.2”H, it’s packed with features for its compact size, including 8 dichroic colors, 7 rotating/indexing gobos, 3 rotating/indexing prisms (3-facet, 5-facet and 3D), Motorized Focus, Variable Speed Shutter/Strobe and 0-100% Mechanical Dimmer.

If you find yourself in the land of Hefeweizen, Wiener Schnitzel and Sausage, (Frankfurt Germany), between March 24 and 27, make sure to stop by ProLight + Sound to check out the Elation Fixtures on the Booth D51, Hall 11.

Spotrack Presents Stage Performer Tracking System

Have you ever tried to follow a performer or actor on stage with a moving light instead of a followspot? Yes, it can be done. Is it easy, maybe. But what if you were trying to follow someone that was moving around that stage fairly quick, like say Steven Tyler? Not the easiest thing to do and having it look as smooth as a person on a followspot.

Spotrack introduces their patented spotrack system that gives followspot functionality to moving lights. It is 3D tracking system that allows single operator to track one stage performer, with up to, 20 moving lights in tracking mode. Spotrack system consist of video camera, computer and DMX interface. Video camera is placed in such position to give overall view of the stage, and video is displayed on computer screen (via TV capture card). Operator is following stage performer with computer mouse on screen, and, in real time, based on mouse position on screen, computer calculates pan and tilt values for each individual moving light, providing them with tracking functionality.

Spotrack system is 21 DMX channel device. Each moving head can be attached (value >128) or detach (value < 128) from tracking at any time, or tracking function, in general (for all moving lights) can be enabled or disabled. This way, for example, we can have only three moving lights in tracking mode during song and seventeen in effect mode (controlled by the light desk), and, at the end of the song we can use all twenty moving lights in tracking mode (all moving lights targeting stage performer).

System key points:

• Tracking performer in three dimensions
• Integration with light desk
• Remotely controlled by the light desk
• Performer height correction included
• 3D stage correction
• Automatic light intensity control (dimmer control)
• Two point callibration
• Modularity
• Performer is transmitter free

Here is a Youtube video of the Spotrack System in Action live on tv.

Want to learn more about the Spotrack System, visit the Spotrack website at www.spotrack.com.

Martin Mac 401 Dual Video

I just saw a great product demo video of Martin Professional’s Mac 401 Dual LED fixture. @MainLight posted the link to the video via their twitter feed and wanted to make sure everyone got a chance to view it. What is so great about the video?  Well, don’t expect to learn much more about the fixture then you already learned about my article that I wrote a couple of months ago about the Mac 401 dual.

What is nice about the video is that is shows the Mac 401 Dual in action.  There are more transitions to very nice marketing photos with some video goodness of the 401 in action, but with the overlaying music you don’t get a good understanding of one of the main selling points of the fixture, the super quite operation. Still, it is a great video in HD to get a feeling of how the fixture operates.

What to learn more about the Martin Mac 401 Dual, visit their website at www.martin.com.