Martin Professional

Martin Professional's international stage, studio and event segment manager, Mark Ravenhill, had just settled into his new Florida home, following his move from Denmark, and was having an "absolutely great" show.He showed us the company's latest prototype moving head, the Mac TW1 ('Tungsten Wash') - its first incandescent fixture, following many requests, said Ravenhill. The idea, he explains, was to achieve "everything in one fixture": no small aim. It consists of a new, magnesium-bodied head on a Mac 2000 yoke sitting on a Mac 700 base, sensibly taking advantage of tried and tested components. It features a twin-lensed zoom system, an internal dimmer (various dimming curves are available), plus a connection for external dimming; it also includes full CMY colour mixing, very precise movement, a quarter-turn lamp access door and is 110/230V compatible. Its patented (and silent) heat removal system uses one small and quiet fan to ensure air continues to move across the heatsink, regardless of the head's orientation.

Also new was the Maxxyz PC - a computer-based version of the lighting console. The Maxedia Digital Media Composer has also been updated; V2.0 includes a new GUI, improved output resolution, keystoning and framing, live camera support, a media manager, extended media library, revised DMX protocol, updated digital file playback support, and more. Making its US debut was the Mac 700 fixture, a 700W unit with a CMY colour system plus colour wheel, gobo animation plus two gobo wheels, motorised zoom and quiet-mode option. The Stage Cyclo colour-mixing unit uses four 54W high-output fluorescent tubes in red, green, blue, and white. The Xciter club lighting controller has a new software upgrade. New developments from Martin's smoke and haze arm, Jem, included the Hydra multi-headed fog system and the AF-2 fan.

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