The fixture is robustly constructed and features a new handle design. It's designed to withstand both the rigours of the road and the challenges of different weather and operating conditions. The CS 2500E AT uses an MSR Gold 1200 SA/SE FastFit lamp with an 1400W electronic ballast, while its optical system consists of a high luminous efficiency parabolic glass reflector, focus lens and multi-step zoom lens with a 10-30° beam angle. All lenses are anti-reflection coated.
The CMY colour mixing system is ultra-smooth, say the company, and there are 63 colour macros for creating a preset palette of colour tones: this simplifies getting the desired colour by using a single control channel as opposed to mixing the three CMY control channels. A colour correction filter lowers the temperature from 5600 to 3200°K - ideal for film and TV work.
The unit's colour wheel has four dichroic filters, an UV filter, a 6000K filter and white, and rotates at variable speeds in both directions There's an option for random colour selection via audio input or for straightforward 'auto random' colour selection. Two gobo wheels offer maximum flexibility and versatility. The first one offers six replaceable dichroic glass gobos plus an open position, and rotates in both directions at different speeds. The indexing and gobo rotation is extremely precise and continuous rotation is also possible, as are 'shaking' gobo effects. Random gobo selection by audio trigger is also another option. The second gobo wheel also features six gobos, with one glass and five dichroic glass gobos plus an open position, and all the same features and functionality of the first wheel.
The fixture also contains an effects wheel for yet more creative possibilities. This includes three- and five-faceted prisms and two glass effects - all of which rotate in both directions at different speeds.
A 1-15 FPS variable speed strobe effect is available, and can be activated through pre-programmed macros with variable random pulse effects. There's also an independent frost effect for fine frosting. The 10-30° focus/zoom facility is remotely controlled - offering very dynamic and useful effects in its own right. The unit benefits from ultra-smooth micro-step driven dimming, and it's 17 high-grade stepper motors are microprocessor controlled for maximum accuracy. An Ethernet port enables operation with Art-Net communications protocol.
The control panel on the base of the unit features a practical easy-to-read graphic LCD display and two control buttons for the control wheel - also known as the Robe Navigation System (RNS). Useful feedback information includes lamp use, age, the DMX values being received, temperatures etc., and there's an inbuilt analyzer for easy fault identification and error messages.
The lamp can be remotely ignited or extinguished by DMX, and the unit also has several other very useful functions onboard, like demo sequences, stand-alone operation, manual control, programming and many other 'behavioral' options for the unit.
(Lee Baldock)
