The Showbeam 2.5 is a new 2500-watt automated wash luminaire that features the Twin Beam technology, allowing two hard-edge beams to exit the fixture on command. Features include variable control over the Twin Beam's deviation and rotation speed, all with little brightness degradation, the ability to add incremental colour to the Twin Beam using the CMY colour mixing system, and a LED tracking system encircling the lens. It also features a user-changeable fixed colour wheel, a variable CTO and the ability to produce an 11-degree fixed hard-edge profile with fast colour change and Electronic Strobe. The profile can be rapidly zoomed from 11 to 33 degrees.
Butch Allen, No Doubt's lighting designer, said, "These lights are amazing. Well done." Tour lighting contractor Epic Production Technologies is supplying six Showbeam 2.5 fixtures, along with six HES DL.3 Digital Lights. No Doubt's North American tour started on 2 May.
"I love the colours," said Lawrence Upton, The Crystal Method's lighting designer. "First of all, you can use Showbeam 2.5 as a very powerful wash light, and I especially love the colours with the ring of LEDs. It works really well in the show with our circular trussing. The next thing is, at a moment's notice, you can turn on the Twin Beam effect, and it's pretty hallucinogenic. You go from a beam focus, and then all of a sudden, you've got this crazy two-beam focus that comes in, which is just awesome.
Delicate Productions is the lighting contractor for The Crystal Method's tour. In addition to Showbean 2.5, the tour includes Showgun, StudioPix and Axon Media servers, plus CLM projectors - and all controlled from a Wholehog 3 console and DMX Processor 8000.
Aerosmith's North American tour starts on June 10th "howbeam 2.5 will work out great in my design," said Bryan Hartley, Aerosmith's lighting designer. "I needed a strong wash light and the Twin Beam is really cool. Plus, it has the LED ring, which gives it a Showgun look. I'll have ten Showbeams in my rig for the tour, and I'm psyched."
Hartley will control the lighting with a Wholehog 3 console and a DMX Processor 8000. Creative Stage Lighting (CSL) is supplying the Showbeam 2.5s to Epic Production Technologies, the lighting contractor.
"We are very pleased that our new wash light is being specified, and adding excitement to the stages of these top tours," said Chris Colpaert, VP creative lighting for Barco North America.
(Jim Evans)
