Vari-Lite VLX

Posted on Monday, February 15th, 2010

When the company that paved the road for the era of automated lighting and drove down the highway of that technology on cruise control for more than 25 years suddenly takes a left turn at the intersection of LED Boulevard and Automated Lighting Way, it’s bound to turn some heads.

That’s essentially what Vari-Lite did last year when they launched the VLX, an automated color wash fixture with an LED light engine under the hood. Vari-Lite was not exactly the first to go down this road, but what they have done is to hit the accelerator and shifted into a higher gear.

Read the full review at http://www.plsn.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5295&Itemid=40

Distributed in Australia by Jands www.jands.com.au

Martin RADAR

Posted on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

There’s a fascinating book called The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google by Nicholas Carr about how cloud computing is changing the world.

In the production world, Remote Device Management (RDM) is changing the lighting industry. Martin RADAR makes use of both technologies and has the potential to change the way you configure and manage your lights.

Read the full review at http://www.plsn.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4900&Itemid=40

Distributed in Australia by Show Technology www.showtech.com.au

ETC Unison Paradigm System

Posted on Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

In 1996, Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC) introduced its Unison® Architectural Control System, improving on previous generations of simpler architectural controls and creating an actual lighting network. The Unison system worked fine for a lot of applications, but more recently, a number of users started to find it limited. Last fall, ETC premiered the Unison Paradigm® system, a new lighting and building control system, winning an LDI2008 Product of the Year Award for Best Debuting Product.

 Read the full review at http://livedesignonline.com/gear/1201-etc-unison-paradigm-system/

Distributed in Australia by Jands www.jands.com.au

Review: GLP Impression

Posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

The Impression, a moving head LED luminaire—manufactured in Germany by GLP German Light Products GmbH and distributed exclusively in the Americas by Elation—has been appearing on a lot of equipment lists. A 2008 Live Design Lighting Product of Year, it was first introduced in March 2007 and then started shipping in large quantities in early 2008. The compact and lightweight Impression is well-suited for situations where users have little power or are under tight weight limits. One of its key features is the fact that, while still having an onboard power supply, it has a tiny base, unlike the larger ones we are all used to seeing with automated lights. The fixture uses 90 Luxeon K2 LEDs and is available in different versions: an RGB version with 30 LEDs per color and several white versions—60 cold white and 30 amber LEDs, 60 warm white and 30 cold white LEDS, etc.—so you can adjust the color temperature. The fixture includes a color calibration feature as well as internal color presets. It pans 660° in as fast as two seconds and tilts up to 300° in one second. The optical system features a standard 10° beam angle, with an optional 25° lens assembly for a wider spread, yet it maintains even color mixing. It has a low-noise ventilation system with overheat protection. The compact design allows these units to be hung on 14″ centers, and the fixtures use 3-pin locking XLR DMX connectors for data in/out. It is constructed with a die-cast aluminum head and industrial lightweight plastics so the fixture weighs only 16lbs.

Read the full review at http://livedesignonline.com/gear/1006-glp-elation-impression

Distributed in Australia by Show Technology www.showtech.com.au

Review: Robe Robin 300 Fixtures

Posted on Friday, November 20th, 2009

Written by Nook Schoenfeld

During the last year I have seen many manufacturers unveil various 300-watt lighting fixtures. Each of them had some impressive features that made them stand out. Unfortunately for them, Robe has just upped the bar for everyone by unveiling their evolutionary compact Robin 300 series of fixtures, and, let me tell you something, they’re not missing anything here.

Read the full review at: http://www.plsn.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4901&Itemid=40

Distributed in Australia by ULA www.ulagroup.com

Review: ArKaos MediaMaster

Posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Written by Vickie Claiborne

For many years, ArKaos has been very successful at producing video mixing software, including its VJ line of software. It combines real time video mixing technology with intuitive graphical user interfaces (GUIs), and it is widely used in nightclubs around the world and on tours such as The Prodigy in 2009.

The MediaMaster is the company’s newest product in its line of video mixing software, but with two very substantial advancements: DMX512 control and hardware options.  All of ArKaos’ software previously offered MIDI control, and they have never offered it in a hardware package.  MediaMaster, however, signals a shift in a direction aimed more for the concert, touring and corporate lighting designers seeking to integrate a powerful and user-friendly media server into their show at an affordable price.

Read the full review at http://www.plsn.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4643&Itemid=40

Distributed in Australia by Show Technology www.showtech.com.au