High End Systems is back in the automated lighting business in a big way.
To be sure, they never really left it, but since they introduced Catalyst in 2001 and DL.1 in 2003, it seemed at times as if they might leave “conventional” automated lighting behind altogether, were it not for the debut of the Studio Command automated wash luminaire in 2006. Their newest offering should leave no doubt that they are planted squarely in the business.
Ring of Bling
Showgun is a moving yoke, automated luminaire, but it’s no ordinary moving light. You only have to see its 25-inch by 23.5-inch head sitting on its 20.6-inch square base to realize that it has more in common with a search light than a task light. It presents a formidable 37.8-inch tall stature in sexy black polycarbonate housing. But when you realize that the light source is a 2000-watt MSR, it seems amazingly small.
And then there’s the light output, which is anything but small.
The atypically large diameter exit beam is one of the most impressive characteristics of this light. It’s reminiscent of the long-extinct Telescan and the fat beam that came off of its large mirror. Except the Showgun, of course, has no mirror; but it does have something even more distinctive — a ring of 36 RGB LED emitters, called the LED Tracking System. Each of the LEDs has a homogenizing lens that mixes the individual colors so effectively that you can’t make out the RGB components. So unique is the combination of the beam and ring of LEDs that there is no mistaking the fixture when you see it turned on.
The field angle varies between a very narrow nine degrees and a medium-sized 18 degrees, and between the zoom, focus and soft edge control it can provide wash that covers quite a large area. It has a five-position rotating, indexable gobo wheel for projecting breakup patterns in the more focused position. The image quality is not such that you will want to project something as critical as a corporate logo, but if you want to project simple patterns and beam projections it’s more than adequate. The stock Lithopatterns are clearly designed for aerial projections, and that’s where the projection feature really shines. The beam control also features an iris that can squeeze the beam down very small.
Mixing It Up
It also has dichroic color mixing, which provides a good range of colors. The color mixing is smooth, with only a slight amount of nonuniformity. There is no supplementary color wheel, but you can place a custom color in any of the gobo slots — just beware of focusing on the pinholes and imperfections on the dichroic surface.
Other features include 414 degrees of pan and 200 degrees of tilt, separate shutter and dimmer, mSpeed (movement speed control), electronic strobing and built-in macros. In addition to two standard breakup patterns in the gobo wheel, it also comes with a UV filter and a crystal litho that is something like a liquid sky effect in a laser. The LED controls include separate dimming — a very handy feature that helps speed LED programming — LED “tracking function,” and RGB control of the LEDs.
Although the fixture weighs 140 pounds, it is actually not difficult to rig. The custom road case that comes with the fixture opens from the top and one side so that each fixture can be wheeled in place, rigged to the truss in the case, and flown without ever having to pick it up. It’s very similar to the DL.2 road case. And considering how big it is, it pans and tilts relatively fast. It’s faster than you would expect from a fixture of this size.
Let’s Make a Deal
This fixture has innovations that you won’t find elsewhere. The optics include an “optically accurate” polymer microfresnel lens, which is market-speak for a custom lens that shapes the beam to conform to their specs. It looks somewhat like an overhead projector lens with fine concentric rings etched into the plastic lens. Another innovation is the 2000-watt short arc metal halide lamp that was co-designed by Philips Lighting and High End Systems. High End has a history of working very closely with the Philips factory in Belgium and engineering lamp specs to suit their needs. This one combines all the latest short arc technology with a fast-fit socket and a huge amount of power.
High End’s surprising new product release came in the wake of two significant developments: first they announced that they will no longer distribute Catalyst, and then they entered into a joint agreement with PRG to license “lighting and control products.” Soon after, HES entered in an agreement with Color Kinetics for licensing LED technology — which played a role in the development of Showgun. High End followed up a couple of months later with a guerrilla marketing campaign that created a stir with a video clip of a Showgun on the Web site. All of this seems to be consistent with their relatively recent strategy of developing innovative new products for which there is little or no competition. If the recent Live Earth production, which included 18 Showgun fixtures in their worldwide debut, is any indication, it’s a strategy that is paying dividends.
Showgun is a one-of-a-kind fixture with a unique design and an unforgettable look. It won’t be long until you can spot them on a number of installations and events.
