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Mega-Lite Circa Scoop

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New Fixture Brings Old School and New School Together

Mega Systems has been producing some quite popular luminaires — WashBot and SpotBot, Axis Grid, and Axis Xtra 17R, to name a few of my personal favorites. On a recent trip to visit the Mega Systems headquarters in Helotes, TX, near San Antonio, I was introduced to something quite out of this world, something that was very reminiscent of the early years of this interesting industry: Meet the Circa Scoop LED, a conventional hybrid wash luminaire with cool options to make working them in on a project.

Side view of Mega Systems’ Circa Scoop LED

‡‡                     Classic Looks…

The Circa Scoop brings in visions of the days of the trusted ellipsoidal reflector floodlight, or “scoop,” as we call them — large, bright wash fixtures with a non-specular ellipsoidal reflector that would throw a large amount of light in a venue. A central light source placed at the rear focus point provides the illumination, and a color filter frame on the front of the unit for turning your wash light into a five-gallon paint bucket of colored wash.

Mega Systems’ Circa takes that idea and the idea of a Linnebach projector and melds them into an incredible fixture that takes on multi-faceted functionality as an art form. Circa has a sleek, purpose-designed mesh front grill with a three-point curved star in the middle, creating a classic, visually interesting look that can be placed in the view of any audience because frankly, it’s gorgeous. Circa conjures up visions of the look of old carbon-arc wash lights and search lights, the form of a big reflector with a central light source.

Where Circa differs from the fixtures of the “glory days” is that not only aesthetically pleasing visually and could stand on any set as a decorative fixture, but it is powerfully bright, and features four separate segmented LED light sources that are designed to work in tandem with each other for stunning, unique effects. Each light source alone is bright to the point of filling a venue; adding all four sources together turns the Circa into a bit of design magic.

‡‡                     …With an LED Twist

Circa is equipped with four systems of LEDs that all have purpose-designed functionality: a central cluster (the Center Engine) of 45 warm white and amber LEDs that can be employed as a general wash with variable white color temperature; underneath the front grill around the circumference of the Circa is an additional 87 warm white LEDs, called the Reflective Pattern Ring, which creates an excellent soft-edged radiance that brings out the look of the front grill. Around the Center Engine of warm white and amber LEDs is an inner ring of 144 RGB LEDs that are divided into eight segments for mapping, effects, and overall punchy bright color mixing.

These RGB LEDs in the center are also controlled by onboard macros that have speed and intensity controls in the fixture’s personality, along with maintaining the ability to individually control the segments. Around the outside of the front grill is a ring of 192 RGB LEDs covered in a milky diffusion, illuminating at a 140° angle, also segmented into eight sections; this Outer Ring gives a very ethereal glow to the space, and is very easily given circular motion via macros or console control. There are 336 RGB LEDs onboard each Circa unit, and with this combination of color, placement, and segmentation, you can create very unique, authentic color and motion looks worthy of any venue and any project.

Circa’s RGB LEDs produce an additional cool white when mixed, giving you the ability to pop or dull down colors. The inner and outer rings create a unique dimensional look when used together, and the onboard macros all reflect the usability of these rings, the center clusters of color, warm white, and amber, in opposing directions, the same direction, all with pulsing and strobing built into the profile.

‡‡                     The Fixture, In Use

The fixture’s operating modes cover most applications; it’s an easy user experience. Simple two and three channel modes for full fixture dimmer intensity and cool macros; middle sized 17-channel mode for hitting the macros in all of the segments and rings; upper end 52 and 56 channel mode for fine control over individual segments. If you’re running the upper end and doing pixel mapping in your rig, you’re going to be able to get nine of these on a universe. This is a good choice for rental environments as well: it’s visually interesting for a range of client work. Corporate theatrics, touring production, nightclub installs, production companies, all are well served by having this in your inventory. Let me say too — it puts out a truck load of light!

Placing the Circa in your rig can be done as a hanging luminaire or a ground-mounted fixture, with removable clamps and a standard floor base accessory. The yoke is an integral component to the structure of the fixture; clamps and floor base accessories connect directly to the yoke itself. Quick releases making working with the Circa easy and manageable, and a dual-unit flight case provides protection when taking the fixture on the road or shipping from shop to show site.

It’s important to me that its flight cases were very solid. Circa’s cases fit the bill, they hold the fixtures well, and the construction is solid — Circa’s a large 20-inch diameter fixture by design, and the case takes good care of it. It’s pretty disappointing when you buy something you expect to be able to put through paces in your season only to have the fixture get wrecked halfway through its life with a bad case. Circa’s case is built well, not phoned in, so you can get these and not worry about it getting trashed. Actually, all of Mega Systems’ cases fit that bill, they all seem to hold up well to the grind.

At a Glance

Retro, Yet State of the Art

Mega Systems’ Circa Scoop LED is suited for any application in which you need dazzle, functional illumination, decorative illumination, or just plain punch on a stage. The form of the fixture is beautiful and has a combination of unique LED systems that provide innovative tools for making any project, act, or event look stunning. Circa’s looks aren’t its only professional feature, either: the unit is built like a tank, with solid construction, reliable circuitry, effective heat dissipation, and professional manufacturing that assure confidence when specifying the Circa for your projects.

Mega-Lite Circa Scoop

PROS: Acts a real scoop with adjustable white color temperature. Inner LEDS color the reflector and output of the fixture. Unique outer ring adds dazzling eye candy.

CONS: None

FEATURES

  • 5-pin DMX Input and Thru
  • Auto-switching ballast, 110/240V 50/60Hz
  • powerCON Input and Thru
  • Simple interface
  • 2, 3, 17, 55, and 56 channel modes
  • Quick Release clamp mounts

STATS

  • Power consumption: 428W
  • Refresh Rate: 7,000Hz
  • Size: 20.7 x 10.8 x 19.25 (WxDxH)
  • Weight: 18.3 lbs.
  • MSRP: $1,499*

*MSRP expected to rise to $1,799 in January to cover new costs related to international tariffs.

More Info: www.megasystemsinc.com