For a couple of years now, Clay Paky, the Italian manufacturer of automated lighting fixtures, has been expanding their Alpha line of moving yoke fixtures. The latest is a new high-powered color mixing wash light that is extremely bright. It can utilize two different HTI lamps with different color temperatures of 6000K or 7500K, both of which have hot-restrike capabilities. The color mixing system contains a CMY module that seamlessly crossfades colors in a smooth, linear fashion. Unlike most fixtures, I could not notice the fl ags entering the light path with the telltale colored streaks in the white light. When I tested them using an effects engine on a console, the fl ags fared quite well with a quick response time. The fixture can be set to run in RGB mode if you desire, which allows you to color mix from a different perspective. Fast color chases were well-executed as were color bumps.
In addition to the CMY color mixing, there is a linear CTO that you can use to tailor the color temperature to your liking. There is also a color wheel that comes with interchangeable fi lters. They use saturated red, congo blue, UV and CTB as the stock colors. The wheel can bump quickly or roll colors for nice effects.
This fixture utilizes two separate systems for dimming and strobing. That makes it possible to fade the light beam in or out while it is strobing. The shutters are fast and have no trouble running intensity chases. It does not, however, have electronic strobing.
One of the highlights of the Alpha Wash is its ability to change the dimmer curve by setting it with the on-board menuing system. It has a standard linear curve like most other automated fixtures, but it also has a second option for a dimming curve that mimics conventional fixtures. It’s ideal for shows that feature many different light sources because you can match the dimming curves.
The fixture’s movement is smooth at a slow speed, but it does not pan and tilt too quickly. It will take a full two seconds to pan 450° or tilt 252°. It executes a smooth ballyhoo with an effects engine, but it becomes jerky if it is sped up to a medium speed. The belts driving the movement are the only sound you hear from this unit, and they can be pretty loud when it pans and tilts quickly, but not too loud otherwise. In fact, it is extremely quiet, and I didn’t even put the fixture into TV/ silent mode. It is cooled using forced ventilation with axial fans. The housing is aluminum with a die-cast polycarbonate (plastic) cover. It never got too hot to touch with my hands. While this medium-sized fixture does weigh in at 79 pounds, Clay Paky states you can hang this light in any position without fear.
Another feature is an effects wheel which allows you to add medium or full frost to the beam. It also utilizes a good beam shaper. You can effortlessly rotate the beam 360°, but it will not do a continuous rotation effect. The zoom is very smooth and can go from 11° to 55°. This fixture can run on just 16 channels of DMX, or, if you prefer, you can add four separate timing channels for pan-tilt, color, beam and beam shaping.
The fixture can run on 110 volts as well as 208 or 240 volts. It draws 12.5 amps when running at 110 volts. There is a physical switch on the outside of the fixture to switch between voltages. It has 3-pin as well as 5- pin XLR connectors on the DMX ports. It also comes equipped with an Ethernet connector for future use. If you want an internal wireless DMX receiver built into the fixture, Clay Paky will accept custom orders with enough lead time to accommodate you. On top of all that, if you purchase more than six units you can pick from 15 different colors of the exterior housing.
From a tech’s point of view it looks easy to work on. The bulb is changed by removing two 1/4-turn screws and sliding the lamp housing out of the back of the fixture. To remove the plastic cover, it’s another six 1/4-turn screws. There are several different positions in which you can lock the pan and tilt with the transport locks. That’s a big bonus for bench teching these lights. This wash light comes equipped with a lithium battery, making it possible for techs to address the lights before they have any AC run to them or to perform diagnostics on the fixture. The battery recharges itself when the fixture is turned on.
The fixture ships with a pretty cool hard foam shell that the owner can insert in his own road case. Or they can ship you the fixtures in a dual flight case with a two-fixture insert.
The Clay Paky Alpha Wash 1200 is one of several 1200-watt automated color mixing wash fixtures on the market, but this one has a nice fl at fi eld and smooth color system that make it stand out.
