Reviews
Review: Philips Vari-Lite VL3015LT Spot
Posted on Tuesday, May 14th, 2013
The “LT” in Philips Vari-Lite’s new VL3015LT Spot stands for “long throw,” and one of the first things you will notice about this fixture is brightness, along with a zoom range tailor made for long throw applications. With an improved output running at 1650 watts using a 1500W Osram double-ended short arc lamp, the VL3015LT Spot combines some of Vari-Lite’s latest technologies with features that designers have been relying on for years with fixtures like the VL3000 and VL3500 spots.
Read the full article at: http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/11102-philips-vari-lite-vl3015lt-spot.html
www.vari-lite.com
Australian Distributor: Jands www.jands.com.au
Review: Martin Professional MAC III AirFX
Posted on Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013
Admittedly we are knee-deep in a “beam” fixture swing at the moment, and why shouldn’t we be? As designers, we are tasked with expanding and creating a visual moment, or memory. We, much like musicians, are breathing art and life into mathematics. To accomplish this task, we need tools and lots of them. New and innovative uses of old ideas, forward-thinking ideas, and hopefully the successful merging of both gives us new tools. I, for one, plan on constantly trying to utilize all these new offerings, and the beam fixture is an important part of a tool kit with spots and washes.
Read the full review at: http://livedesignonline.com/lighting/closer-look-martin-professional-mac-iii-airfx
www.martin.com
Australian Distributor: Show Technology www.showtech.com.au
Review: Chauvet Legend 230SR Beam
Posted on Monday, March 4th, 2013
Last fall, I got a call from the fine folks from Chauvet Professional to take a look at a new light that they were introducing. We had the Legend 230SR Beam shipped up to Bandit Lites in Nashville and did a side-by-side comparison with a similar beam light from another manufacturer.
For the full review go to: http://livedesignonline.com/lighting/closer-look-chauvet-legend-230sr-beam
Australian Distributor: Showtools www.showtools.com.au
Review: Clay Paky A.Leda Wash K10
Posted on Monday, February 18th, 2013
Last month, I found myself in a gig where I needed a couple dozen small footprint, yet powerful, wash lights to tuck into corners of a giant stage. I researched all the various LED heads on the market. Each one had some fancy function that separated them from the next. It was hard to choose. Then my friend Dennis Flenniken asked if I had seen Clay Paky’s first foray into the moving LED head department. He told me that the reason CP had not built an LED head yet was that they were waiting to come up with one that was superior to all other fixtures. He was not wrong.
Read the full article at: http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/10585-clay-paky-aleda-wash-k10.html
www.claypaky.it
Australian Distributor: Show Technology www.showtech.com.au
Review: PRG Best Boy 4000
Posted on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013
PRG’s Best Boy 4000 is an all-in-one lighting tool. It combines high output, an 8:1 zoom range, razor sharp optics, framing shutters, exciting special effects and state of the art technology into one versatile package. Let’s take a closer look.
Read the full article here: http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/10288-prg-best-boy-4000.html
Review: Martin MAC Viper
Posted on Wednesday, November 21st, 2012
Written by: Nook Schoenfeld
It’s hard to get excited about a new hard-edge moving light. At least that’s what I thought until I ran one of Martin’s new “Viper” fixtures. I was impressed because someone didn’t just join the party of recently released 800W fixtures; they came up with a whole new line.
Read the full article here: http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/10135-martin-mac-viper.html
www.martin.com
Australian Distributor: Show Technology www.showtech.com.au
Review: GLP impression X4
Posted on Wednesday, November 14th, 2012
Written by: Nook Schoenfeld
For the last year, I have been waiting for a manufacturer of LED heads to make a certain fixture — one that allows me to decide which of the 19 individual LEDs in the face will illuminate and which I can keep dark, without having to use hundreds of DMX channels per fixture. GLP (German Light Products) has figured it out. The same people that led the LED-based moving head revolution have upped the ante with the release of the Impression X4.
Read the full review at: http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/10137-glp-impression-x4.html
www.glp.de
Australian Distributor: Show Technology www.showtech.com.au
Review: ETC Source Four LED Fixtures
Posted on Thursday, August 9th, 2012
As the LED craze took over the entertainment industry, one of the most frequently-asked questions was, “When will ETC’s Source Four go LED?” At ETC’s CUE, a conference for end-users held in the company’s hometown, Middleton, WI, in July, 2011, the answer came as CEO Fred Foster took the stage and started talking about color. Lo and behold, what started out looking like the beam of a Source Four fixture began to change color.
That particular Source Four LED prototype was hidden away in the ceiling, but within six months, ETC was ready to introduce its Source Four LED line to the world.
There are now three versions of the Source Four LED: the Daylight, Tungsten and Lustr+. The first two are standard white fixtures, color-corrected for daylight (5600K) or tungsten (3000K). The Lustr + is based on the Selador 7-color mixing system, with Red, White, Amber, Green, Cyan, Blue and Indigo LEDs.
Read the full article at http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/9649-etc-source-four-led-fixtures.html
Review: Clay Paky’s A.leda Line of Automated Luminaires
Posted on Tuesday, July 24th, 2012
By Patrick Dierson
A.leda is a new range moving head LED fixtures from Clay Paky. The haters of the lighting world will undoubtedly be shrugging their shoulders asking, “Aren’t they a little late to the LED market, and aren’t they just copying what’s already been done?” And one could mistakenly agree. However, in true Clay Paky fashion, the company’s supposed tardiness has given them license for some great innovation, having allowed the market to experience the pros and cons, and respond with some truly feature-rich instruments that will freshen up what seems to be a stale marketplace full of copycats. The three models of the A.leda range share some distinct traits, and there’s definitely something in there to make every member of the production team happy.
Read the full article at: http://livedesignonline.com/gear/lighting/0718_clay_paky_aleda/
Review: High End Systems DLV
Posted on Friday, July 6th, 2012
The DLV, the newest fixture in High End Systems’ line of digital lighting fixtures, combines media server technology with a 4,000-lumen projector in a compact yoke luminaire designed for small venues like clubs and theatre. Based on the same software platform as the larger DL.3, the DLV programs and operates with very few differences from the DL.3.
Read the full review at: http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/9346-high-end-systems-dlv.html
www.highend.com
Australian Distributor: Lexair Entertainment info@lexair.com.au or 0418 691 509.
Review: ETC Gio console
Posted on Wednesday, June 20th, 2012
by David Martin Jacques
We tested a prototype of the Gio in our theaters at California State University Long Beach over a period of two months. One of my graduate lighting-design students used the Gio to program the lighting for the musical “Side Show.” This production had over 400 light cues, along with many other visual effects programmed on the desk. My graduate students also programmed the Gio for several lighting class projects. We must have logged over 500 hours of testing on this desk—and enjoyed many of the excellent design features incorporated by the innovative ETC engineers. Let’s just say that we were left extremely impressed.
Read the full review at:
http://www.churchproduction.com/go.php/article/lighting_review_etc_gio_lighting_control_console
Australian Distributor: Jands www.jands.com.au
Review: Robe ROBIN DLX Spot
Posted on Wednesday, June 13th, 2012
Robe’s new DLX Spot joins the ROBIN series of fixtures, with a size and weight (46 lbs.) comparable to other spot, wash and beam fixtures in the ROBIN line. As with those other fixtures, the DLX offers an impressive number of features within a compact, lightweight package, but with a big difference — the light source.
Read the full review at: http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/9349-robe-robin-dlx-spot.html
www.robe.cz
Australian Distributor: ULA Group www.ulagroup.com
Review: Barco ImagePRO-II
Posted on Thursday, May 24th, 2012
By Jeff Gooch
A lot of what we do as video professionals is nebulous to the uneducated and usually is perceived as being in the world of black magic. But it almost always involves making an image look pristine somewhere in the rig, whether it’s a display monitor, a projection, or part of an LED set.
Read the full article at http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/9154-barco-imagepro-ii.html
Review: Martin M2GO Ultra Portable Lighting Control
Posted on Thursday, May 17th, 2012
I’ve worked with plenty of small consoles over the years. Some were single universe models, others consisted of various wings and gadgets attached to a laptop. Problem was, I never felt comfortable trying to program a show. Well, that all changed when I stepped behind Martin’s new M2GO. For the first time ever, I didn’t find myself hunting and pecking on a new desk for parameters and ways to record cues. From the moment I sat behind this console, it all made logical sense.
Read the full review at http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/9157-martin-m2go-ultra-portable-lighting-control.html
www.martin.com
Australian Distributor: Show Technology www.showtech.com.au
Review: Martin EC-10 LED Panels
Posted on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
In today’s video production industry, vendors and designers have been looking for an impressive, all-purpose LED video panel. A number of video panel manufacturers have answered the call with products that are brighter, more durable, easier to work with and higher-resolution than ever before.
Martin Professional, whose LC Series LED panels broke new ground with their easy cabling, quick setup and user-friendly processing, now offers their 10mm pixel pitch LED display panel, the EC-10. It features a lightweight and cable-free design for a quick and easy setup.
Read the full review at http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/9017-martin-ec-10-led-panels.html
www.martin.com
Australian Distributor: Show Technology www.showtech.com.au
Review: Osram Sylvania’s Kreios G1 LED image projector
Posted on Monday, April 30th, 2012
If you have been looking for a pattern projector to project your logo or other messages, you should give Osram Sylvania’s Kreios G1 LED image projector a serious look.
The Kreios G1 (List Price: $480) is an LED-lamped pattern projector that is small and lightweight. Weighing in at three and a “half pounds and roughly nine inches tall, four inches wide, and nine inches deep, the fixture can easily tuck into most places with ease.
Read the full review in Church Production magazine
Review: ETC Gio Console
Posted on Monday, March 26th, 2012
Lighting control is an evolving proposition. As our demands for control and functions increase, so must the flexibility in our control solutions. If you have spent any time in the lighting industry, you know the acronym, ETC. Electronic Theatre Controls has been one of the top lighting control manufacturers for the past 30 years. Throughout the company’s existence, they have released control products aimed at controlling lights that users required and requested.
Read the full review at http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/8856-etc-gio-console.html
www.etcconnect.com
Australian Distributor: Jands www.jands.com.au
Review: Avolites Tiger Touch Lighting Control Console
Posted on Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
by Jim Kumorek
Avolites is one lighting company I’ve not had much experience with. Based in London, England, Avolites manufactures a range of dimmers, lighting consoles, and other lighting accessories. In this review, we’ll be taking a look at the Tiger Touch lighting console.
The Tiger Touch has four universes of DMX built into the console, and can be expanded through Ethernet connectivity using ArtNet (a network protocol that enables the transmission of DMX data over the network to ArtNet-compatible devices). The console comes with a touch-screen display built into the console, and can be expanded with an external LCD monitor for displaying additional windows.
Read the full review at http://www.churchproduction.com/go.php/article/lighting_review_avolites_tiger_touch_lighting_control_console
Australian Distributor: ULA Group www.ulagroup.com
Review: Look Solutions Tiny FX Fogger
Posted on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
Particulates are always in the air. They are so tiny we don’t even notice them. But it is these little specs of dust that make beams of light visible. In the world of staged beam effects, foggers and hazers also play a key role. They help to define shafts of light and provide effects. Germany-based Look Solutions has recently introduced the entertainment world to what has to be one of the smallest foggers I have ever seen. The Tiny FX Fogger is a compact, battery-operated fogger that easy fits in the palm of your hand. At first glance, the Tiny FX seems as though it was designed to be used primarily as a novelty item. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Read the full article at http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/8387-look-solutions-tiny-fx-fogger.html
www.looksolutions.com
Australian Distributor: Show Technology www.showtech.com.au
Review: Martin MAC Aura
Posted on Thursday, December 1st, 2011
Martin Professional has hit the ball right out of the park with the release of the new MAC Aura. Featuring a tremendous light beam, combined with dazzling eye-candy effects, this fixture raises the bar for what manufacturers can accomplish with LED technology.
The fixture is roughly the same size as a MAC 301, but the similarities stop there. The face of the fixture bears no resemblance to any other fixture ever built.
Read the full article at: http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/8268-martin-mac-aura.html
www.martin.com
Australian Distributor: Show Technology www.showtech.com.au
Review: Philips Vari*Lite VL880
Posted on Friday, October 14th, 2011
By Mike Wood for Lighting & Sound International
Philips Vari-Lite is clearly very aware of the economic pressure their customers have been under recently and so has taken the step, unusual perhaps for Vari-Lite, of developing a new range of luminaires which they advertise as “compact and economical”. The range comprises four luminaire variants, the VL400, VL440, VL770, and VL880, all with spot optics, and all with identical external appearance. The units primarily differ in their light sources: the VL400 and VL440 use a 400W MSR Gold 400 Mini FastFit lamp; the VL770 uses a 700W MSR Gold 400 Mini FastFit lamp; and the top-of-the range VL880 an 800W MSR Platinum 35 lamp. As I understand it, the feature sets (and indeed much of the internal construction) are identical across the VL440, VL770, and VL880, while the VL400 has a slightly reduced specification with two fixed colour wheels instead of CMY colour mixing, and no separate dim wheel. In this review I will just look at the top-of-the-range VL880, but I think it’s reasonable to assume that the other units in the range will perform very similarly, just with different light outputs.
Read the full article at http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?referral=other&pnum=112&refresh=6g0T18SaJy51&EID=07965bf9-ef00-48ee-89ed-342c1542175e&skip=&p=112
Robe Robin 300 & 600 LEDWash Fixtures
Posted on Monday, September 19th, 2011
Written by: Justin Lang
When comparing the latest LED wash lights from Robe, the Robin 600 LEDWash and the Robin 300 LEDWash, it is like comparing the same fixture. The main difference between the two fixtures is size. Throughout my testing of the two fixtures, everything was exactly the same except for the size, output and LED count. I’ll begin with features and functions that can be found on both fixtures.
Read full article at http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/7969-robe-robin-300-a-600-ledwash-fixtures.html
PRG’s Best Boy
Posted on Thursday, September 15th, 2011
By Patrick Dierson
For generations the term “Swiss army knife” has been used metaphorically to describe a single device with malleable functionality. PRG’s choice to use the image of that iconic knife for marketing its new fixture is appropriate for the Best Boy.
I was recently given a sneak peek at PRG’s latest offering prior to its upcoming LDI debut, and it appears that it truly is the Swiss army knife of moving lights.
Read the full article at http://livedesignonline.com/gear/lighting/0914_prg_best_boy/
Review: Martin M1 Console
Posted on Monday, August 8th, 2011
Written by by Jim Kumorek
I have the pleasure of reviewing a variety of equipment for Church Production Magazine (CPM)—probably the most fun category of product, for me, is lighting consoles. As a former software engineer, programming lighting sequences resonates with me. So I was excited to get a chance to play with the Martin M1 console and review it for CPM. For a console packed with as many features as the M1, we’ll only be able to touch on the highlights.
Read the full article at http://www.churchproduction.com/go.php/article/lighting_review_martin_professional_m1_lighting_console?p=1
Review: Clay Paky Sharpy
Posted on Monday, June 20th, 2011
Written by: Nook Schoenfeld
I just completed a road test of a new moving light from Clay Paky, called the Sharpy. Three things were immediately noticeable about this fixture. It’s fast, tiny and packs a lot of light output for a lamp that has a bulb under 200W.
Read the full article at http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/32-road-tests/7554-clay-paky-sharpy.html