New RGBL LED Ellipsoidal is Now the Brightest Color-Changing Static Profile Available
How does a designer solve the quality-power-cost triangle with today’s LED profiles? Choosing between these factors in LED profiles is still a major issue for most designers. To get power, you sacrifice high color quality. To get great skin tones, you go without saturated colors. The list goes on and it can be hard to find the right balance for the needs of a show. That balance of features, power and cost is what Altman has tackled in the new PHX3 RGBL LED profile.
Originally shown at Frankfurt Prolight + Sound in 2019 as a prototype and planned to launch officially at USITT 2020, the Altman PHX3 RGBL profile is now shipping from Altman’s new Denver home. This new addition to the growing PHX range introduces a new Altman proprietary Lime LED to the PHX line for a powerful blend of high-quality whites and wide array of saturated colors.
The brief for PHX3 was to add a truly long-throw color changing profile to the expanding PHX line which can balance the needs of any front light rig. Given that this new profile can output over 10,000 delivered lumens, the PHX3 achieves the goal; it is now the brightest color changing static profile available on the market.
Bright/AF
Powered by the new 16-bit Bright/AF (Bright Advanced Function) LED engine, PHX3 introduces a large range of new features. Dialing in colors is where the PHX3 shows its versatility. The new engine incorporates saturated color LEDs, specifically selected to be more powerful with a wider bandwidth, but still complement LED hues in the existing PHX engines. Combining these with the new extended bandwidth lime chips gives the new engine a huge range of color rendering ability. Saturated blues can fade to cyan and aquamarines. Delicate pastels and skin tones are no problem and using a 4-color system means that these pastels are frequently using more of the total power available as opposed to 5, 6, and 7 color systems.
The 16-bit dimming engine has logarithmic, square-law, and linear dimming curves to match your rigs needs. Each can dim to zero flawlessly. But the most impressive spec point remains the lumen output. It is almost twice as intense as most of the existing color changing LED profiles on the market. In white, the PHX3 is truly comparable to a 750W 120V 1500-hour tungsten lamp.
Ready for Camera
The increasing frequency with which performance is filmed or captured on a phone camera means that all performances really need to use fixtures with high quality LEDs and dimming engines. Nowhere is this more important than on a FOH rig. The new Lime LED allows for top quality white mixes with white points right on the black body curve. At 3200°K, the CRI is 89, CQS is 92. Both incredible numbers for a full-color mixing fixture at 3200°K. Additionally, the new PHX3 engine is perfectly suited to even the highest speed slow motion cameras. Flicker and phasing look awful on today’s 4k displays. But with a minimum PWM dimming rate of 19kHz, even shooting at 1000 fps will be no problem.
Efficiency
At 340 watts, the PHX3 is amongst the most powerful LED profiles. Cooling the new LED array is therefore critical. The Bright/AF engine features a new advanced cooling system using a single variable speed PWM driven fan. When combined with the latest heat pipe designs, this new cooling system is <35dBa at .5 meter, despite fitting in the existing modular PHX engine casting. Three fan modes (Low, Normal, On) are selectable via RDM. All of this means that the engine lifespan is still listed as 50,000 hours to L70 despite offering more power in a quieter package.
PHX Line Features
The PHX3 carries all the great features found on the PHX1 and PHX2. Fully boxed in color frame holders, locking shutters and 360-degree barrel rotation. Features hard to find on other fixed focus profiles. The PHX3 comes in 50, 36, 26, 19, 10, and 5 degree lenses as well as 30-55° and 15-35° zoom lenses. Have an existing investment in EDLT lenses? Not a problem, all PHXs are compatible with Source4 lenses. Your size A and B gobos will work as expected too.
Other PHX features have been beefed up or improved. Membrane buttons on the programming panel are now mechanical. The display has been made brighter and clearer, though remains extinguishable and with a selectable timeout setting. The processor is faster and software updates in the field are now possible. Black is standard, white is optional. And all PHXs come with Altman’s new 5-year (and 1 day) warranty.
A True FOH Solution
All of this translates into a workhorse of a fixture that can do it all — and do it in a long throw application. You can spec a PHX3 and not worry if it can handle the needs of your design. PHX3 has a list price of $2,500. That doesn’t just make it competitive in its class — simply put, there is currently no better bang for buck for color changing LED profile intensity.
A Growing Family
The PHX3 is the latest in an award-winning line of Altman LED profiles. With six different LED engine color options, three power choices, and one of the industry’s only, truly convection cooled silent profiles, the PHX range is becoming a versatile family of reliable fixtures. Couple this with the unique lens barrel features and seven years of solid performance behind them, and the PHX is quickly becoming a go-to fixture for themed entertainment venues, houses of worship, cruise ships and performance venues.
The New Altman
The PHX3 ships from Altman’s new state-of-the-art facility in Denver. After 67 years in Yonkers, NY, Altman completed their move to Denver in July of this year. Moving during the pandemic, especially from the New York Tri-State area, was quite a feat. Altman is now up and running at 1400 East 66th Avenue, Denver, CO 80229. Still family owned and operated.
At a Glance:
Impressive RGBL Output
The PHX3 boasts the highest output of any color mixing LED ellipsoidal. With its long throw ability and the RGBL LED emitter, the fixture is perfect for key and back lighting.
PROS: This fixture fits a niche in the Phoenix line with a broader range of color mixing. Superior lumen output. Zoom models available. 360° rotating barrel. Standalone options include color fade times and strobe ability, multiple dimming modes.
CONS: None
FEATURES
- AC In/Out via PowerCON Connector
- DMX via 5-Pin XLR
- Aluminum Frame with Steel Yoke
- 2 x Locking T-handles
- Available in Black or White Casing
- Wide Accessory Slot for Iris or Gobo Rotators
- 5-Year Warranty
SPECS
- Lamp Source: RGBL LED Light Engine
- Lumens output: 10,000+
- CRI: 89
- Wattage: 340W
- Weight: 28.45 lbs.
- Dimensions: 30” x 10.6” (LxW)
- Barrels: 5°, 10°, 19°, 26°, 50°
- Zoom options: 15-35° or 30-55°
- IP Rating: IP20
- MSRP: $2,500
Manufacturer: Altman Lighting
More Info: www.altmanlighting.com
