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Always looking for the next big thing, most of us keep one eye and one ear turned to our inbox, our mailbox and our trusted co-workers, eager to learn about the latest and greatest LED this or digital that. But no matter what the buzz-product of the day is, we still end up using the same gear for most of our work.
| What it is: Clay Paky Alpha Wash 575 and Alpha Wash TH What it’s for: Color mixing color wash for general wash, set painting, cyc lighting, key or fill light Pros: Bright, user-selectable voltage,3-pin or 5-pin XLR inputs, internal self-recharging battery allows menu operation without connecting to power, energy/lamp saving feature, 4°-80° zoom, top hat reduces halation, smooth dimming, outstanding color mixing, fast and accurate movement Cons: Menu display somewhat cryptic, only two of four color wheel slots are filled MSRP: Alpha Wash 575: $8555, AlphaWash TH: $9110 |
Call it a workhorse, a go-to item, or an old friend. No matter what you call it, there is a tool that is the first thing you think of for most situations. For me, that tool would be a moving head wash fixture of some variety. Sturdy, reliable, bright, and accurate would be just a few of the words I would use to describe an ideal candidate.
After taking Clay Paky’s Alpha Wash and Alpha Wash TH for a spin, I may just have found my next old friend.
The Gear
The Alpha Wash is a 575-watt movingyoke color wash fixture that includes all of the standard amenities we expect to see these days, as well as a couple of extras. Starting from the bottom, the metal base plate of the fixture includes the four-position quick-release clamp system that is bec omi n g common. The power supply can be q u i c k l y switched between 100-120V and 200- 240V operation from a side-mounted switch. DMX connections are provided on parallel 3-pin and 5-pin connectors, and the fixture includes both pan and tilt locks.
Menu navigation is fairly intuitive, with the only drawback being the limit of four characters displayed at a time, making for a few confusing truncations. The on-board display can be quickly inverted at any time, without the need to dig into the menu structure.
One of the nicest features of the display is the ability to navigate and make adjustments to the settings without connecting the fixture to power. An internal rechargeable battery powers the on-board display so that lighting techs can quickly adjust settings and address fixtures before power is available at the fixture.
The clam-shell covers on the head are easily detached via six quarter-turn fasteners while the covers on the base are slightly less convenient, with fully threaded screws holding them in place. This won’t be an issue for most people, as these covers do not have to be removed for voltage adjustment or dayto- day maintenance.
Color mixing is provided by a standard cyan, magenta, and yellow dichroic gradient density color mixing system. Linear CTO is standard, as well as a 5-position color wheel with two slots filled by the factory with saturated red and blue filters and two slots (not counting the open position) left empty.
Dimming is provided via a hybrid flag system, while an energy/lamp saving mode reduces power to the lamp by 50% after a fixed period with the fixture blacked out. Strobe functions are provided by a dedicated flag with a wide range of speeds and modes.
One of the most notable features of the fixture is its incredible zoom range which the factory claims as 4°-80°. The TH model adds a 3-inch top hat that significantly reduces halation when the zoom is at its most narrow setting, while reducing glare to the audience as well.
The base model offers two channels of linear frost capabilities, one light and one heavy. The TH model replaces one of these channels with a beam shaping “ovalizer.”
DMX control is provided via an ‘extended’ 16-channel mode or a ‘standard’ 14- channel mode which reduces pan and tilt to 8-bit control.
Impressions
Most of us have seen this lamp in other fixtures, and I was truly blown away when I first saw this fixture turned on. It looked significantly brighter than several different 700-watt fixtures on stage, and would certainly hold its own next to a lot of 1200-watt fixtures.
Dimming is incredibly smooth (even below 15%), and the energy/lamp saving mode is transparent to the end user. The strobe functions offer a very good array of speeds, and all modes, including random, take effect instantaneously.
Color mixing is outstanding, and was the most talked-about feature by the show’s directors. Reds were punchy and shades of every color were very even, without any hints of ‘mottled’ oranges or blue-greens.
The zoom range is incredible and very responsive. I especially liked the TH model, as the slight amount of bleed in the tightest zoom range was eliminated. The “ovalizer” that comes with this model is also a nice addition, while the two channels of frost (in the base model) are for the most part overkill in combination with the zoom.
Pan and tilt are fast and extremely accurate, and I especially like the base that supports the unit. Smaller than the bases of many fixtures today, the Alpha Wash is a bit more manageable than most, and can be handled by one person.
Conclusion
Take the first opportunity you have to get your hands on some of these fixtures and I don’t think you’ll be sorry. The Alpha Wash and Alpha Wash TH are a promising glimpse into what will surely be a successful product range by this Italian manufacturer.
Special thanks to the Technical Theatre students at the Westlake High School Fine Arts Facility for their help with this review. Phil Gilbert is a freelance lighting designer / programmer. He can be reached at pgilbert@plsn.com.
