» Black Floor, Blue Stripe
Clay Paky has released the A.Leda series of wash lights. Ranging from the petite K5 model to the mid-range K10 and full-size K20 models, each utilizes an array of Osram 15W RGBW quad color LEDs as their lamp source. I chose to use the K10 model, as the size fit my needs, and the promised 9000 lumens emitted from the 19 quad colored LEDs was no exaggeration. Unlike other companies who paste various lumen numbers that don’t match up to what my eye actually sees, this baby looks brighter than what they brag about. I am currently working with a totally black floor, yet to stripe blazing hot streaks of color across it is incredibly easy. I point the fixtures down, zoom them tight and I can easily paint a 40-foot blue stripe across the floor.
» Extended Mode
There are several modes these can run in, so the first thing I do is opt for the extended mode. This requires 77 DMX channels per fixture. This gives me the unique power to control the colors in each individual LED outputting color. I can bitmap images right from my desk to the fixture. This is the first small LED fixture I have come across that allows me to do this. I immediately write about 10 different effects in my console and watch as the front face of this fixture gives me incredible arrays of eye candy patterns. I can’t chase intensities of each individual LED, but that doesn’t matter, as colors run in swirl patterns around the face and cells go dark by themselves. Control-wise, it takes a while for me to get all my various groups of LEDs into the console. But once I have that together, I am set for some serious programming.
The K10 has a rather tight zoom, going down to 14 degrees. It can widen out to a full 70 degrees in under a second. It retains 50 percent of its light output at full zoom. This is incredibly useful for this show. One moment, I am pin spotting a single aerialist dangling 20 feet in the air. During the next 7 seconds, this aerialist descends to the ground. The K10 must follow them down at the precise descent speed, while gradually opening to a 75 percent zoom when they hit bottom. As I write the cues to see if this will work, I think that I am a fool. It’s a great idea, but I doubt that it will work. I am fully blown away when I realize the light performs exactly as planned, and the cue works. This is great, because I have exactly one second between the time I black this fixture out, reset it in a wide zoom, and pick up somebody else flying in a 30-foot diameter circle overhead. The pan and tilt speed is as fast as anything on the market, and I execute the second cue easily.
Color-wise, I can mix the majority of colors I need. The primary colors are deep and saturated. The color mixing works as well as most heads. It does not mix a good lavender, but that is an issue with most LED heads. Other than that, the pastel colors appear quite vibrant. Even the yellow has very little green tint to it. I’m a huge fan of the color system. When I turn the RGB LEDs off and only emit the white LEDs, I get a perfect white beam of light. When I mix all the colors at full, the beam is almost too bright. The normal pinkish hue one sees from most LED fixtures is there, but hardly noticeable at all. The CTO function on the fixture works fabulously, as it can adjust the light color to whatever a camera wants to see, as well as give me a tungsten-looking light source when I require it. The fixture also comes with a color macro channel. Clay Paky is writing various color effects and patterns into the cells to cut down on the programming time it takes for all the cool eye candy.
» Shape Mode
I have finished programming this show and now move on to another, so I spec the same fixtures. On this show, I cannot afford to use all the DMX channels to run the fixtures in the extended mode, so I run them in 29-channel “Shape” mode. Holy Cow, Clay Paky has indeed raised the bar. It takes me mere seconds to realize that I prefer this mode. While I no longer have control of the color of each individual LED, I have 10 different channels of Shapes that tell the fixture which LEDs to illuminate and which to keep black. For instance, I choose a pattern that resembles a snowflake on the front face of the K10. Only certain cells will illuminate when I have this DMX value in it. I scroll up on that DMX value, and the snowflake shape rotates to the next one. Sure enough, I can write great intensity chases using these functions. The dimmer has a perfectly linear curve to it. The random and syncopated strobes function flawlessly.
» Built Tough
Physically speaking, this 30-pound fixture is built tough with an aluminum frame and molded hard plastic for a shell. It’s constructed so tough that Clay Paky believes the fixture itself may outlive the 50,000-hour estimated life of each LED cell. It even tells you how to replace the bulbs, years down the line. It has a modular construction theme, which is great for cleaning and maintenance. This fixture is incredibly silent, despite the fans on the head. It can a get a little warm to touch on the outside (90 degrees F). I ran them in 110-volt mode, but the power supply will accept any voltage from 90-240. It required less than 4 amps per fixture to run them in this mode. Locking powerCON connectors feed it power, while it accepts DMX control info through a 5-pin XLR cable or via an Ethernet connection.
This fixture has a cool LCD display on the side that is a tech’s dream. It will inform the user if there is a fault with any part of the fixture. There is a temperature gauge that will automatically shut down the fixture if it overheats. The internal buffer battery allows you to address the fixture without turning it on. It has handles on its side as well as a locking pan mechanism for easy travel from road case to truss.
Clay Paky A.Leda Wash K10
Pros: Individual control of each of the 19 quad colored LEDs. Macros full of preset color combos as well as graphic shape effects.
Cons: Like most LED fixtures, it mixes a less-than-perfect lavender hue.
How Much: Clay Paky A.Leda Wash K10: $7,100 (MSRP). Clay Paky also offers the A.Leda Wash K5 for $5,040 and the K20 for $11,225.
