Vari-Lite VL4000 Spot
Choosing a moving light is not unlike buying a car. With all the models available to us, it is a daunting task to know where to begin. First, you must identify your needs:
Do you require a lot of projected effects like gobos, shutters, and irises, or do you only want a simple blended wash of light with excellent color field? Do you need very fast air effects to create light ceilings over your talent? There are lights designed to do this, and some lights will do more than one thing, as well.
Understanding the differences between moving lights is essential to starting your search. Like the difference between a convertible and an SUV, making the wrong choice could be an unpleasant experience. First you need to understand the categories. They include spot profile, wash, beam, FX, and hybrids.
Spot Profiles
Spot profile moving lights have similar qualities as a Leko. The optics in these fixtures are designed to project images that are inserted into the beam path and project those images onto the stage. They can have very sharp focusable beams to create clear patterns and sharp shutter cuts. These devices include gobo wheels, shutters, irises, effect wheels, and other types of beam-shaping modules. Other modules include diffusion, color wheels, and to create color fading, CMY dichroic color flags. These fixtures also zoom, some with a very wide zoom range. All this makes spot profile fixtures extremely versatile.
Examples of spot profile fixtures include the Martin Mac Encore Performance, Vari-Lite VL4000 Spot, Clay Paky Axcor Profile, and the High End SolaFrame Theatre.
ADJ Vizi Wash Pro
Wash Fixtures
Wash fixtures are intended to project a soft wash of light with an even field. Like conventional Fresnels, they usually do not possess any features of spot profile fixtures such as gobos, irises, or shutters. Because they are mechanically less complex, they usually are priced lower than spot profile fixtures. You would use a wash fixture if you desire a smooth blending of light and color over a wide area of the stage, or to cover a cyc or drop evenly.
Examples of wash fixtures are the Clay Paky Axcor Wash, High End Solawash, and the Vari-Lite VL3500 Wash.
Elation Proteus Beam
Beam Fixtures
Beam fixtures include varied designs of moving light fixtures. Their primary purpose is to create beam effects that are best seen in smoke and haze. Many people think of the Clay Paky Sharpie as the most commonly used beam light. The Sharpie produces a very tight, high intensity beam of light that almost looks like a fat laser. A group of sharpies can create lines of light behind performers that give the appearance of movable colored bars. Many of these fixtures feature gobos, zooms, and beam shaping modules. Due to their primary purpose, a smooth field of light is not as important as would be in a spot profile or wash fixture. Intensity and versatility are more important.
Along with the Sharpie, examples of beam fixtures include the German Light Products Impression FR1, Clay Paky Alpha Beam 700, Var-Lite VL6000 Beam, and the Elation Professional Proteus Beam.
GLP Impression X4Bar
FX Fixtures
FX fixtures are exactly what you may guess from the name. They are designed to provide stunning color and beam air-effects. Due to these varied “air effects,” the design of these fixtures can be quite unique. Some use matrixes of individually controlled LED cells and moving sections of light within the fixture.
Examples of FX fixtures are the High End Quad and EX fixtures, Clay Paky A.leda B-Eye (which also makes a great wash fixture), and German Light Products (GLP) Impression X4Bar.
Hybrids
Remember when you wanted a stage light with a hard edge you would choose a Leko, and when you wanted a wash fixture with a soft edge you would choose a Fresnel? That lasted for decades until gel manufacturers released some very good diffusion material that enabled your Leko to have the same soft edge beam of light you enjoyed with a Fresnel. Now there is little reason to buy a Fresnel. That diffusion gel basically turned the Leko into a hybrid fixture. Hybrid moving lights are models that combine features from at least two categories. The hybrids are spot profile fixtures that have excellent zoom and diffusion qualities that almost make them wash fixtures, as well. The key is in their diffusion filters, since there is a wide range of quality among brands. What you want is a “tunable” diffusion filter with excellent field and color consistency. Hybrids can also be a combination of beam, wash, and FX fixtures. Many companies are moving to these fixtures in order to offer value to the buyers. Why buy two different categories of light when one hybrid fixture may be able to perform more than one purpose? Some of the more popular hybrid moving lights include the High End SolaHyBeam, Vari-Lite VL4000 BeamWash, German Light Products GT-1, and Elation Professional’s Artiste Dali.
Closing Thoughts
In addition to the different categories of moving lights, all of these categories are divided into the type of light engines they use. This includes tungsten, discharge, and LED. The choice of light engine will determine the size and weight of the light, the cost and cost savings of using the fixture, the fixture’s color stability, and whether the light is used in dry or wet (IP-65) environments. So many choices. As a professional lighting designer, my suggestion is if you want a workhorse fixture that can play multiple roles—be it a profile, a wash, and maybe some air effects—then I would go for a hybrid fixture (see sidebar). But if you have a large budget, and can afford to own multiple fixture groups, then you can design your rig using the best category of light for each system. In any case, your choices are many. Go to LDI, USITT, or other lighting conferences where you can see these fixtures in action. If you live near a major city, your local lighting supplier may have a few of these you can demo. Manufacturers will even ship you a few demo fixtures so you can see how they perform in your church. Enjoy experimenting with all these great fixtures. May you find your perfect light.
