The first thing I notice is that it’s compact. This is a 1000W fixture, with all of bells and whistles of its competitors, takes up a very compact physical footprint. Mind you, as soon as you pick up this 69-pound fixture, you realize that they are not skimping on any components. I manage to slide it out of its tiny custom case effortlessly as the handles and locking pan and tilts make for easy lifting.
The horsepower behind this light comes from an Osram Lok-it HTI 1000W metal halide lamp. I note it can take a Philips substitute bulb. The first thing that knocks me out is the incredible full flat field of the beam. There is no hot spot in the middle or blue lines around the edges. My meter registers the beam at 6000°K. I am metering 240 foot candles from 20 feet away in a narrow zoom.
Movement and Color
Movement wise the pan goes 540° in two seconds, and the tilt goes 270°. I can freeze the movement on a dime by pausing the command in the console. I try placing the fixture in a circle effect, and it executes it well in a slow mode with no jerky motions. It performs a can-can tilt function pretty easily without stopping to think at the end stop like many large fixtures normally do.
This model has a CYM color mixing module. At full cyan, the color is not overly saturated. I think similar thoughts with the magenta color, as it does not appear that rich. I start to mix the flags together, and I’m getting a total understanding of why PR has set up their color system this way — for maximum light output. As soon as I mix the color green, I know I’m on to something special. Usually when I mix this color in a moving light, I’m left with a dark green low intensity beam. But this beauty is giving me a vibrant shade with plenty of light emission.
Next, I put the magenta and cyan flags in at full to mix the requisite Congo blue color. Sure enough, I get a rich purple color that is also popping. My eyes do not believe what I’m seeing, so I resort to the UV filter in the color wheel to see what that looks like in comparison. It doesn’t makes sense to me — the light beam with just the purple dichroic in front of it is nowhere near as bright as the beam of light I get using the color flags. I never thought this was physically possible, but I am witnessing a marvel of color flag engineering here.
The color mixing system is also fast and responds to the effects engine commands I put the fixture through well. I do notice that it’s difficult to mix a deep red color with the flags, but they include a good red dichroic filter in the wheel.
The separate color wheel can snap colors or roll them in time. PR has obviously done their homework and has positioned the red and blue colors on the wheel on both sides of the white hole. There is a green color located next to the blue one and an amber filter next to the red one for programmers who appreciate this color order. There are a total of seven colors on the wheel, and they are all suitable for a “rainbow” roll when the wheel is put in continuous rotation mode. The color system has a variable CTO function. I get a true CTO color out of this flag without it ever turning amber, and it’s easy to make the light beam appear as if it came from a tungsten source.
Beam Effects
Beam-wise, I am able to zoom this light down to a 9° beam at its narrowest. By reducing the iris, I get a shaft of light that is equivalent to about 5° in size. It zooms out to a fat 47° tree trunk of a beam. Sure, it loses a lot of light output when I fatten the beam, but not as much as I would have thought in comparison with other discharge fixtures. When I zoom and set the level of the focus channel to zero as well, I get a sharp, crisp beam. The iris itself is quick as well as nice and even when slowly opened to full. The manufacturer added a separate DMX channel just to control all of the various preprogrammed iris effects stored in the fixture. I check the fixture for all the usual strobe rates of sync and random capabilities, and they are what one would expect.
For beam breakups, we have a fixed gobo wheel with seven good aerial and texture choices that I like. They are replaceable. Each gobo can shake at variable speeds. The whole wheel can rotate to give you the gobo roll effect — a great effect. A unique function of this fixture is its ability to shake the gobos while rotating the entire wheel. There is also a separate gobo wheel for rotating and indexing gobos. Bi directional with various speeds, these gobos can also shake.
I drop the frost filter into the light path. The frost filter comes in from one side and slowly diffuses the beam in increments. It appears to wipe across the whole beam as it diffuses the optics. The 3-facet prism adds a nice effect without any real noticeable light loss. It can rotate in any direction. Rotating the gobo in one direction while spinning the prism in an opposite direction gives the user a dazzling effect.
There is an animation wheel that comes with a stock (and replaceable) fire effect. As far as working as an animation effect the fixture is flawless. But I do take note that I cannot sharpen the animation effect like a normal gobo, unless I zoom to full wide. I am testing a prototype light so they may have fixed this in the final version.
Nuts and Bolts
Tech-wise, this fixture has some great traits. Its modular construction makes it easy to work on. It has a built-in analyzer that senses any faults the fixture may have, showing them in the display window. The bulb has a lamp life of 750 hours, which can be extended by using the energy saving function of the ballast. The fixture is protected by a composite plastic cover and has an IP20 rating, but one can purchase an optional, electric driven waterproof cover. PR makes a model with framing shutters as well. It comes equipped with a wireless DMX receiver and an optional transmitter as well as 3 pin and 5 pin XLR connectors for signal flow.
At a Glance:
PROS: Bright white beam with perfect flat field of projection. Exceptional color system with great light output in saturated colors.
CONS: Unable to sharpen the focus on the animation wheel without full zoom in play.
FEATURES
- Osram Lok-it! HTI 1000W Lam (Philips optional)
- 9°-47° Beam Angle (linearly adjustable)
- CYM Color Mixing w/Macro, Linear CTO
- 7 Dichroic Color Filters plus Open
- 7 Fixed Gobos plus Open
- 7 Rotating Gobos plus Open
- 3-Facet Rotating Prism
- Fire Animation Effect Wheel
- (rotating/replaceable)
- Frost Filter
- 0-100% DMX Focus, Dimmer
- 5-100% Iris with Macro
- Double Shutter Blades (0.3-25 F.P.S.)
SPECS
- Footprint: 13.3” x 16.1”
- Height: 27.7” (extended)
- Weight: 69 lbs./31.5 Kg
- Price (MSRP): $7,525
More Info: www.pr-lighting.com, www.megasystemsinc.com
