Product Focus: Moving Lights
V-Base Projector Yoke for DPI HIGHlite 12000Dsx+
Brother, Brother & Sons
The Brother, Brother & Sons V-Base Projector Yoke for Digital Projection's HL12000 DSX+ securely holds and moves the HIGHlite 12000Dsx+, so it can produce effects not achievable via any other method. It motorizes the projector and makes its movements programmable. Constructed with heavy-duty, industrial components, the yoke offers repeatability and smooth, precise moves. The system also allows for the use of a full range of projector lenses. The yoke controls pan and tilt as well as selected parameters of the projector via a standard DMX lighting console. These parameters include projector on/off, mechanical shutter, zoom, focus, orientation, shift, brightness, contrast, color temperature, color, and control channels. The V-Base range is distributed in the US and Canada by A.C.T Lighting, Inc.
www.actlighting.com
Upgraded Accu Spot 300
American DJ
A scaled-up version of this club effect, the 250W Accu Spot 300 has two new features: auto focusing via DMX and a rotating three-facet prism with macros. The auto-focusing feature lets users adjust the focus of the lens from a DMX controller. The rotating three-facet prism creates three images of the same gobo. Like its predecessor, it is equipped with nine colors plus white and seven replaceable rotating gobos, including two glass gobos. Gobos and colors are on independent wheels, and there's also a gobo scroll mode and a gobo shake effect. The unit can pan a full 360° and tilt 265°, and it comes with Auto X-Y Repositioning, which restores the fixture to its original position should it accidentally get moved or bumped. Remote DMX Addressing (RDMX) lets users change DMX values remotely from a DMX console. Equipped with 11 DMX channels, users can run the fixture either with a DMX controller, as stand-alone sound-active effects, or in Master-Slave Mode. The Smart Sense feature automatically senses whether the unit is in DMX or Master-Slave Mode. Other features include: a high-velocity fan; a 15° beam angle; micro stepping for smooth, precise movements; and an MSD-250/2 250W 3,000-hour discharge lamp.
www.americandj.com
Delta R
DTS
The Delta R TriLED moving head is an LED color changer with 40 RGB full-color LEDs, each with a power of 3W and a total luminous flux as high as 2,800 lumens. It can be used for concerts, special events, theatres, and TV, as well as for architectural applications, including interiors and exteriors, due to its IP65 rating. Two interchangeable optical units of 25° and 40° are available, offering different projection angles for light beams. The unit has motorized pan and tilt with 16-bit resolution and automatic repositioning of the head. It can be controlled with a standard DMX or with RS232 signals and also offers automated playback. Programming is possible via an interface with a 120×64 pixel LCD graphic display and four buttons. Using the incorporated microcomputer, the unit can be controlled without a console, and it can be used as master or slave in projector arrays. All functions can be programmed and memorized in a sequence of events (different settings of intensity, colors, special effects, etc.), permitting totally automated and perfectly timed playback. The unit works with a full-range 90-270VAC, 50-60Hz power supply, enabling use worldwide.
www.dts-lighting.it
Daslight
DVC 2 Software
Virtual DMX Controller is now available as the next generation DVC 2 version, designed to increase productivity and reduce programming time. New tools include: group window, ordering fixtures and scenes, preset palettes, global multi-selection, live control, and DMX universe management. More features will be added in upcoming months. The software works only with the new USB to DMX interfaces: DVC2 512 SD (DMX IN and OUT and Port HE10); DVC2 512 GOLD (DMX OUT and Stand Alone DMX memory).
www.daslight.com
LightShop Online
Stage Research, Inc.
LightShop Online is a web-deployable online product, a data warehouse of lighting and photometric data. Previously available as a stand-alone program only, this new web-enabled application of the lighting information program leverages a central Internet database containing photometric data of nearly 3,000 instruments and thousands of lamps and gels. The program runs in Microsoft Windows XP, and every time the application runs, it automatically downloads the latest version, if needed.
www.LightShopOnline.com
www.stageresearch.com
DVX500
SmartAVI
SmartAVI's DVX500 now extends any DVI-I, keyboard, and mouse signal up to 10,000' with fiber and up to 500' with CAT5 while retaining an image up to 1600×1200 resolution. According to the company, it is the first to send DVI through a single CAT5 over such extreme distances with minimal loss of image quality. The DVX500 consists of a transmitter and a receiver unit and is equipped with DVI digital connectors for a single link and optional keyboard and mouse. It supports VGA and the latest DVI video interfaces and is capable of supporting mixed DVI and VGA operations with resolutions up to 1600×1200 at 60Hz using CAT5. The unit has a dual access local option, is transparent to keyboard and mouse emulations, and has no length restrictions for particular video resolutions.
www.smartavi.com
SureGrip
JR Clancy
SureGrip™ is a rope developed specifically to address the safety concerns of worn hand lines. A telltale red thread woven into the rope indicates excessive wear; a visible red thread means it's time to replace the line (patent-pending). The rope also contains an identifying ribbon with Clancy's name, contact information, and year of manufacture. The rope is available in 3/4" diameter in either white or black and has a breaking strength of 10,000lbs. The synthetic blend also resists rot or effect from environmental factors such as heat or humidity. The line has such minimal stretch that floor blocks in a fly system only have to be adjusted at the time of installation. It features the three-strand twist construction that is traditional in rigging hand lines.
www.jrclancy.com
Sunlite 2006
Nicolaudie-Sunlite
Sunlite 2006 software is available for download. This is a Beta version for testing purposes, so use of the 2004 software is still recommended. The 2006 version is compatible with 2004 interfaces. New features include a master page (to control several fixtures within pages simultaneously), new take window, a new design (Microsoft Windows XP style, new icons), new fixtures window (groups), the ability to save/open complete shows (show concepts), console feature (to connect MIDI controllers), Easy View 2006, and a beginner mode to simplify (or limit) the use of the software.
www.nicolaudie.com
Synergy SD Digital Production Switchers
Ross Video
Synergy SD has released version 16 software, which provides major additions to the array of device control interfaces, operational enhancements, and support for the latest version of OverDrive. Added device interfaces include: Avid Airspeed and EVS maXS Servers, Canon and Sony Robotic Cameras, Chyron Duet CGs, Extron Routers, Look Ahead Serial Tally (LAST) for interface to virtual sets such as BrainStorm, and enhancements to the Miranda K2 virtual monitor wall system. Operational enhancements include: added features in the Custom Control macro system, independently mappable Auxiliary Buses, CCU override latch mode, and quick random access cueing of servers, VTRs, and DDRs via the numeric keypad. This software release is free to all Synergy SD customers with a current version control panel CPU board.
www.rossvideo.com
IntelliWhite
Color Kinetics
Three new IntelliWhite products include iW Blast 12 Powercore, iW Profile g2, and iW Cove Powercore. iW Blast 12 Powercore offers the same features of iW Blast 12 in a complete line voltage system, thanks to Powercore™ technology, which integrates power and data management directly within the fixture to reduce wiring and simplify installation. iW Profile g2 is a low-profile, linear 12" system that features higher light output and enhanced light quality with new optics and advanced LEDs. It is offered in three different beam angles: narrow, medium, and forward-throw asymmetric. iW Cove Powercore is a higher-intensity 12" linear system designed for common interior alcove applications. It also incorporates Powercore technology and accommodates the use of many units in a continuous run, easily navigating bends and curves with end-to-end connectors.
www.colorkinetics.com
Sensacell Module S61-49-W
Sensacell
Sensacell is an interactive hardware that combines sensors and LED lighting to create modular “sensor surfaces.” The system is suited for architainment, interactive multimedia, and retail environments. It can turn any surface into a proximity-sensitive interface. Modules can be assembled to form interactive sensor surfaces of any size or shape, from a single module to thousands of square feet. The technology creates sensitive zones that project 3" to 6" into free space, right through solid materials. The dimmer system can function independently from the sensors, or the two can be linked internally to create cause-and-effect behavior modes. The modules can be equipped with any commercially available LED color, including white, and each module has four GridPort I/O ports to provide redundant power and communication connections. Master modules contain special firmware and an RS232 communications port; each module is an addressable node and can be individually or globally controlled.
www.sensacell.com
Surelight EL Wire
Olmec Advanced Materials
Surelight EL Wire is a flexible lighting material that can be used for set and prop illumination, special effects, and costume lighting. It can be battery powered, mains driven, or can be operated through DMX controllers using Surelight's new DMXi interface units. Ten different colors are available, and the product can be placed indoors or outdoors. It can also fade, be sequenced, or have a continuous glow mode depending on the driver used. Users of Surelight EL Wire include Royal Opera House, The Royal Shakespeare Company, and The National Theatre.
www.surelight.com
Manual Controller
ChainMaster
ChainMaster offers a new manual controller for up to 48 chain hoists. With the remote control, which is equipped with a 5.7" touchscreen, it is possible to program runs as well as display individual positions and loads. It is also possible to affect a group shutdown in the event of exceeded synchronicity tolerance, overshot target position, incorrect direction of rotation, overload, or slack chain conditions. Compatibility with computerized controllers for larger systems is guaranteed.
www.chainmaster.de
Hog 3PC & Wholehog 3 Software
High End Systems
Hog® 3PC software transfers the technology of the Wholehog® 3 console to personal computers as well as to the Hog iPC console. It enhances the Wholehog 3 suite with hardware products allowing users to create their own control solution. Show files are completely compatible among Hog 3PC, Hog iPC, and the Wholehog 3 console, providing offline, backup, and networking. Customers with existing USB DMX widgets using Hog 2PC are encouraged to upgrade to Hog 3PC. Once the upgrade is complete, the USB DMX widget will function with both Hog 3PC and Hog 2PC. Users can perform this procedure after purchasing an upgrade kit from their HES dealer. Upgraded software for the Wholehog 3 console is also available. Features, libraries, and modifications are detailed in the release notes available with the download.
www.highend.com
www.flyingpig.com
My Favorite Moving Lights:
My current favorite moving light is the Vari-Lite VL3000™. The color mixing is the best — rich and clear, never muddy — with a broader palette than most moving lights. The brightness is unbeatable, the beam spread large and even. I like the VL3000s as floor fixtures, in the downstage corners as hard, low sidelighting on band members, or casting shadows on set pieces and backdrops with a wider beam. Just a few fixtures set on the floor upstage can create a color field across a large backdrop. The transformation between a narrow, concentrated beam to a broad wash can be almost imperceptibly slow and smooth or rapid enough to create a jarring burst of color in the blink of an eye. Being able to create a sharply colored, harsh beam or a delicate, atmospheric haze with the same fixture made them indispensable on last year's REM tour. They are still my current favorite.
— Susanne Sasic, lighting designer Hoboken, NJ
As a theatre and opera lighting designer, what I like best is a really good quality profile with good shutter control and a really good color palette with very accurate colors, and the ADB Lighting Warp/M does that extremely well. It has a beautifully flat, even field which, compared to that of its main competitor, is less what I'd call blue-white and cold; the color temperature is much more sympathetic. The shuttering quality is superb, and because I use a huge amount of low cross lighting, having a unit that allows you to cut the beam shape precisely is absolutely perfect. When I've needed to use the movements, they've been very accurate, and the luminaire is silent. The most important thing about the Warp/M is that it's not a toy or a nodding bucket with lots of effects. It's much more sophisticated than that — a very classy performer.
— Paule Constable, lighting designer London, England
The City Theatrical AutoYoke — I have used them on every show I have done for five years. They are fantastic roving specials, dead quiet and beautifully incandescent. I don't think I have done without at least six of them on any Broadway play or musical.
— Brian MacDevitt, lighting designer
We decided to single our favorites down to one wash, as well as one spot unit:
- Martin MAC 2000 Wash
The use of two color wheels and full CYM mixing plus a simple 1/4 turn access for rapid lens changes make this fixture a great rental and touring unit. Additionally, as a rental unit, one important factor is ease of maintenance, and the MAC 2000 gets first place in that category.
- High End Systems x.Spot Xtreme
We favor these units for the 21 available patterns and the modular components and functionality. We take ours to the extreme by taking advantage of the modularity and putting in the peak reflectors in combination with the 2:1 lens tube to increase its output comparable to a MAC 2000 Profile.
— George Studnicky IV, design/R&D Mike Gormley, production/rental manager Creative Stage Lighting North Creek, NY