
In the AVL world, we only see leaps in innovation occasionally. Most years, the new products that come out are just improvements on last year’s model or a more powerful version of features we’ve already seen. However, this past December at LDI, there were a handful of lighting fixtures that seemed to change or at least challenge the typical mindset of lighting design with moving head instruments. Let’s hit briefly on three of the most notable product launches.
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The most innovative element of the Vari-Lite VLHive 151 Digital FX fixture is obviously its digital aspect. Lighting directors get to take all of the features we’ve used for years and manipulate them in ways we’ve never been able to before.
Vari-lite VLHive 151 Digital FX
Vari-lite debuted what they call an “all-digital entertainment lighting fixture” called the VLHive 151 Digital FX. The “151” alludes to the 151-emitter array that packs 45,000 lumens with pixel-level control. And what they mean by “digital” is they have done away with the traditional flow of light through a moving head fixture. All of the light output is manipulated the same way you would work with a projector or LED display, but you still control it like a moving light. The traditional features we’re used to (effects wheels, rotating shutters, iris, gobos, etc.) are now digital. In addition, lighting designers can now play with new features like effect smoothing, polar positioning, transition effects, and gobo keystoning --- something every church LD would kill for when having to project a custom logo gobo for a conference. For those who appreciate some eye candy from the audience’s POV, the VLHive has a large 12” face that can instantly convert to a frosted projected face showing projected animations on the lens.
And don’t forget, this is still an RGBL additive color mixing engine - not just a projector or LED panel. Vari-lite uses their SmartColor+ and FluxBoost technologies to manage lumen output and CRI so it still operates like any of their high-quality lighting fixtures.
With the VLHive, designers can now integrate lighting fixtures into the video landscape without compromising continuity.
What’s innovative?
Obviously, the most innovative element of this fixture is the digital aspect. LD’s get to take all of the features we’ve used for years and manipulate them in ways we’ve never been able to. Just consider the prospect of loading your own custom digital gobos or creating a seamless color wash (151 emitters) with multiple colors by a single fixture.
The other innovative leap with this fixture is the possibility of more closely collaborating with the video team by being able to more accurately match the color and motion of the content. With the VLHive, designers can now integrate lighting fixtures into the video landscape without compromising continuity.
What’s in it for the Church?
This is probably considered a “cherry on top” lighting fixture for the church at the moment. Since it hasn’t been seen out in the wild, yet, and we haven’t heard about final pricing, it’s hard to say how reasonable it is to put this into your lighting rig for a Sunday morning. That being said, the VLHive has a tremendous amount of flexibility in its feature sets, so definitely try and get your hands on one when they are available.

High End Systems Zeo moving head light from ETC would be killer in student rooms where they could easily double as backlight. In larger rigs, you wouldn’t need very many of them to have a significant impact due to their brightness and flexibility.
ETC | High End Systems Zeo
In the lighting genre of flash and effects, there’s a new tool available in the High End Systems Zeo moving head light. This fixture has four individually controllable cells with RGBW color mixing and a combined output of 30,000 lumens. It’s a strobe, it’s a blinder, it’s a beam, it’s a wash, and it is crazy bright! This fixture is definitely designed to face the audience and hype them up. The 15º-55º beam angle helps to provide some nice flexibility, too.
What’s innovative?
Effects lights like strobes and blinders are typically one-trick ponies. You have to use them sparingly so as not to dull the effect, but you want to use them enough to get your money’s worth. The Zeo provides LDs with an assortment of features that make it way more versatile and useful than your everyday effect fixture.
It’s a strobe, it’s a blinder, it’s a beam, it’s a wash, and it is crazy bright! This fixture is definitely designed to face the audience and hype them up.
What’s in it for the Church?
It’s a flashy light, so it totally depends on your culture. At a price point of around $7,800, these aren’t cheap fixtures that you can just throw up at a whim. They would be killer in student rooms where they could easily double as backlight. In larger rigs, you wouldn’t need very many of them to have a significant impact due to their brightness and flexibility. These will be fun to test drive.

Elation Lighting's Paragon S has a high-efficiency 550W 6,500K variable CRI white LED engine outputting 20,500 lumens, and the Paragon M has a 900W 6,500K Variable CRI White LED Engine with 37,200 Lumens of output.
Elation Paragon Series
If the two previous fixtures were a little too far on the edge for you, then Elation Professional’s Paragon Series might be more your speed. This is more of a traditional moving light design with an LED engine and a typical pathway of color and gobo modules, but that’s where the “typical” ends.
The Paragon S has a high-efficiency 550W 6,500K variable CRI white LED engine outputting 20,500 lumens, and the Paragon M has a 900W 6,500K Variable CRI White LED Engine with 37,200 Lumens of output. The variable CRI allows you to adjust the fixture from a CRI of 70 all the way up to 93 instantly. The lumen ratings mentioned above are for a CRI of 80, so that brightness can go higher and lower depending on your choices.
The Paragon fixtures have an IP54 rating which means they are resistant to the elements, but you can also easily remove the covers and service the fixtures.
The effects packages on these lights are quite impressive - you should go peruse them on Elation’s website.
One of the other impressive design concepts is the interchangeable lens options. Both the S and M fixtures come with a profile lens, but you can also get a PC lens and Fresnel lens which offer a variety of design choices. Check out the website to see the specs on these lens options.
Paragon's variety of effects is impressive, and the lens options are great, but its adjustable CRI is really intriguing.
What’s innovative?
It’s great to see a lighting fixture that has so much flexibility. Obviously, the variety of effects is impressive, and the lens options are great, but the adjustable CRI is intriguing. Instead of having to choose high CRI over brightness or vice-versa, it’s possible to have a fixture that gives you the ability to choose which you prefer for any given moment.
What’s in it for the Church?
These are quality fixtures and are priced very well. The Paragon S lists at $8,900 and M is $12,000. It is important to realize, though, that you get what you pay for, and these lights have a lot of bang for the buck. It’s important to get a demo of any fixture you’re shopping in your room so you can see how it will actually behave and impact your design. The Paragon Series lights may be a solid option for churches that value high CRI but want to have a fixture that can serve multiple needs.