In recent years, automated lighting fixtures utilizing LED technology have begun to evolve beyond wash fixtures into more dynamic visual effects. As many manufacturers continue to strive toward creating brighter and brighter LED profile fixtures, LED wash fixtures have tended to be pretty much the same. That is, until the Shapeshifter. I recently traveled to Austin, TX to spend some time with engineering innovator and Shapeshifter creator Richard Belliveau of High End Systems to learn more about this promising new fixture.
What It Is
The Shapeshifter is the newest addition to the family of LED lighting products from High End Systems. Shapeshifter is actually a range of LED fixtures that include the C1 and C2 (both color mixing units) and the W1 and W2 (white only LEDs). These LED yoke mounted wash fixtures are not just ordinary LED wash fixtures — instead, they feature independently controllable modules on the face of the fixture that can be manipulated via pan, tilt, intensity and color. They promise to be unlike anything you’ve seen yet in the professional lighting industry.
Hardware Specs
Seven individual LED modules (one static, six moving) comprise the head of the Shapeshifter. The LEDs themselves are CREE XP-E2. The C1 and W1 units each feature 126 LEDs while the C2 and W2 feature half that at 63 each. Each of the six moving LED modules in all units can move independently a total of 36 degrees, creating a variable area of wash not possible with other single module LED wash fixtures.
The larger C1 model features 42 red, 42 green and 42 blue LEDs while the smaller C2 features 21 red, 21 green and 21 blue LEDs. This is likely to cause some people to question the look of the fixture, since all of the color mixing is achieved by combining the intensity levels of the individual LEDs until the desired color is created. It’s true, many LED wash fixtures currently on the market are not built using individual R,G, and B LEDs, opting to use multi color chip LEDs instead. But for Belliveau, this choice was purposeful; using single color LEDs results in increased brightness from each LED. And HES wanted to make sure they have the brightest multi module LED wash fixture possible. The C1 and W1 are both extremely bright, with the C1 measuring about 24,000 lumens and the W1 measuring about 27,000 lumens. Large venues like arenas will not pose a problem for these units.
With regards to size and weight, the C1 and W1 are medium sized wash fixtures measuring about 21 inches tall and weighing in around 60 pounds. The C2 and W2 models are slightly smaller at about 18 inches tall and 45 pounds. Other than size and weight, the C2 and W2 models feature all of the same effects as their full size siblings at half the brightness (12,000 and 13,500 lumens, respectively) making them very practical for smaller venues.
Playback
For my review, I had the opportunity to work with both the C1 and the W1 Shapeshifter models. The C1 is bright and features very saturated colors. The W1 is even brighter with all of the modules on, and makes a great ACL beam effect in the air when the modules are tilted away from the head.
For programming, there are two DMX control modes, easily assignable directly from the lighting console. Mode 1 combines the control of intensity and color of all modules into one control set, not allowing individual color or intensity control. When you want to control the modules independently of each other, then you will switch to Mode 2 from the console, and voilà, you will be able to make every module do its own thing, subject to your whim. I believe the majority of time designers will likely program using Mode 2 because it allows you to create some very unique, unusual and extraordinary effects not possible in the otherwise ordinary world of LED fixtures.
The unit is both interesting to look at and energetic in action. Simply moving the LED modules makes a great lighting effect, especially when using the onboard LED Indigo backlighter effect. This feature illuminates the inside of the housing, creating a background glow behind the modules that is both striking and aesthetically pleasing. Using a true Indigo LED (not a color mixed indigo), the fixture emits the purest and deepest indigo possible which, as Belliveau explained to me, causes a positive emotional reaction when you see it. Or as I like to think of it, Indigo just simply makes your eyes drool!
If you desire the ‘twinkle’ effect, (a simple on/off intensity chase) then you may want to combine both the W1/W2 (all white) and C1/C2 units in your design together. If you use a dim effect on the Color versions, then you will end up with a red/green/blue chase. If you use the same dim effect on a white version unit, then you will get the on/off twinkle. I liked the look of both types together in a rig, as they complement each other nicely, especially considering you don’t get a vibrant pure white out of a C1 or C2 model because of its type of additive color mixing (all three LED colors have to be combined to achieve white).
Okay, so I know you might be thinking this, because I did … does the unit allow for pixel mapping? Well, the answer is no, not really. While there are 126 LEDs on the face, they are divided into seven modules (which cannot be further separated for control). So seven big pixels is really all you would get. This is the case for several reasons, but primarily that the channel count would be massive if each LED was controlled individually. Combined with the use of individual color LEDs on the C1 and C2 units, the result of attempting to pixel map would be an inaccurate representation of the video, with the color values being interpreted by single red, green and blue LEDs. Simply put, it just wouldn’t look right. But truthfully, this fixture isn’t really intended for use as a video-mapping fixture. Shapeshifter is a bold and unique fixture that can stand on its own and deserves to be programmed the good old-fashioned way — through chases and effects.
Speaking of effects, HES has built fixture macros into the protocol, and these vary from pan/tilt macros to color and intensity macros. I think having macros on board the unit makes programming them a lot less intimidating, because at first, wrapping your head around having individual pan, tilt, color and intensity control for sections of a single fixture seems a little disorienting. Once you’ve spent a few minutes playing with the macros, you will get a nice look at most of the things the fixture can do, and then you can begin to create your own looks with the console.
Summing Up
The Shapeshifter is an exciting new LED fixture that moves beyond just being a simple LED wash fixture. The fixture is dynamic, and for that reason, it makes a great addition to a lighting rig on any type of show. Television, touring, and corporate event LDs should love this fixture for the new looks it brings to the tool bag. Plus, it’s a practical wash light as well, meaning an LD can get the best of both worlds.
At a Glance
Bright and Versatile
More than just an LED wash, High End Systems’ new Shapeshifter family of products equips LDs with new lighting effects made possible through the combination of RGB LEDs (C1 and C2 models) and white-only LEDs (W1 and W2 models). The look of the true indigo LEDs, while not adjustable, will “make your eyes drool,” especially when contrasted against red, magenta and/or amber hues. Zoom is slightly variable, achieved via the moving LED modules. Close to 150 onboard fixture macros are built into the protocol for the fixture, making programming from any console simpler and faster.
High End Systems Shapeshifter Series
Pros: Bright! About 24,000 lumens for the C1, 27,000 Lumens for the W1; two sizes available for both RGB and White LED fixtures, indigo backlighter looks cool, the fixtures are programmer-friendly.
Cons: Does not pixel map (but with up to 126 LEDs on the face, would you want to do the programming?); RGBs in the C1 and C2 produce a white that is less pure than that achieved with the W1/W2 units; the indigo backlighter cannot change color.
Price (MSRP): C1 and W1: $6,995 each; C2 and W2: $4,995 each
Manufacturer: High End Systems
More Info: www.highend.com
