fazJ Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 As someone who's used all 3 of those, to me the answer is a simple one - for fixed-angle units, Source4 ; for zooms, Acclaim. I totally agree, I used all three and have exactly the same opinion, must admit not a huge fan of SL's so haven't useed them as much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Thing is, the (modern) Selecon 650W fixtures are rather bright for their wattage, so you could forgiver someone getting confuzzled between a S4 and a Acclaim ZP B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis sullivan NLS Posted October 22, 2009 Author Share Posted October 22, 2009 Anyone used the CCT Freedom Profiles with the 800w GKV Lamp? I have used the CCT fre's once but didn't think too much of them. not sure if they were lamped 600 or 800w. are freedoms worth the value for a smaller venue or is something like S4jn's more suited? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guiding_Light Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 I'm aware this is slightly off topic but hey :( Have you ever tried using acetate for a gobo? I had a play and unless you fit a 600W bulb and still run it below 50% it burns out in seconds. I've used them for a few shows with varying but often perfectly satisfactory results. The burn out rate is a lot better if you use the special gobo frames (basically a ~10mm chunk of heat resistant glass between the lamp and the acetate) although they're quite pricey ~£75 list from memory. It also depends on what the design is, lots of black or dark colours are obviously going to burn out quicker - another tip is with designs that don't take the whole area of the frame is to use the shutters to block off as much of the gobo as possible. There is also advice on the selecon website about setting the peakiness of the lamp to make the beam overly flat to avoid a hot spot in the centre. Also worth noting is that laser acetate is generally more tolerant to heat than inkjet acetate. If using custom gobos for extended time or for a long run I'd go for the 600W base but for short things the 1KW will work. For a critical show though it helps to be able to easily access the lantern to swap out the acetate for spares between shows. I've had most success with basic block patterns and words (of a similar style to the standard DHA etc gobos) although have also used them for full colour projection - an image of Dali's clocks I seem to remember (When using full colour it helps to exaggerate the contrast on the computer image as when projected the colour differences won't appear as vivid). Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBoomal Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I love my S4's, however, I have 3 where I just cannot get rid of the dark centre spot. I've twisted and pulled and turned the adjusters but to no avail. Anyone have a magic solution that I'm missing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Have you ever tried using acetate for a gobo? I had a play and unless you fit a 600W bulb and still run it below 50% it burns out in seconds. Sure, I have used them loads, If you have a google for acetate it will come up with my views and advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathanhill Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I love my S4's, however, I have 3 where I just cannot get rid of the dark centre spot. I've twisted and pulled and turned the adjusters but to no avail. Anyone have a magic solution that I'm missing? What beam angle are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBoomal Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 What beam angle are they? All 19 degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathanhill Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 What beam angle are they?All 19 degree.Have you checked to see if the lens is in the correct slot in the tube? It should be in the slot closest to the colour runners for a 19. And the lens should have a red dot on it. e2a: red dot info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 I love my S4's, however, I have 3 where I just cannot get rid of the dark centre spot. I've twisted and pulled and turned the adjusters but to no avail. Anyone have a magic solution that I'm missing?This usually indicates that the lamp is pushed in too far using the inner knob.Bench Focus/Tuning Source Four If it doesn't change at all when you twiddle the inner knob a long way in both directions, you might have a broken/missing spring inside the lamp socket assembly.It's worth checking the reflector as well.Check the Assembly Guide for the parts and how to get to them. The lens arrangement is described in the Lens Tube Configuration PDF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBoomal Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 That's pretty much my problem. However far I twiddle the knob nothing happens. I did buy them second hand , so a broken/damaged spring could be a realistic possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattern123 Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 Having used all of these and more, I'd make the following comments: Source 4's are the best out of the three, the fixed angle 750w is probably the best, but not versatile enough for multiple use venues. If you can get away with the 575w Juniors, they are excellent, but it is a pain that the gobo size is different to the S4 if you own both. The S4 Zooms are outstanding, but the nose-heavy point made by others is an issue - and they are rather large compared to the fixed S4. SL's are reasonable, second out of the three I'd say, for a smallish venue FOH they are fine, though undoing the lamp housing is a major pain in the arse, and their heat management isn't great. Rather expensive for what they are though, but they do stand up well to touring etc. The GKV Lamps can be a little prone to blowing easily. Spares shouldn't be an issue anymore, since they are shipping new again. Acclaim profiles are fine for installation in schools and small venues, but I wouldn't tour them unless you are going to box them properly and handle them yourself only, they aren't robust enough. Only the axial version is worth having professionally IMHO, again the lamps in these can be prone to blowing too easily. Freedoms are OK, though difficult to buy! and I'd strongly recommend for smaller venues the Minuette Profile, particularly the condensor version. Does suffer from the same lamp tray issues as Preludes and other T27 vehicles though longer term. Pacifics are too clumsy, a nightmare to buy with all the seperate bits, the heat sink in some venues/positions can do you some serious damage in terms of 'branding' you nicely, and the microswitches are a total nightmare in hire units/touring. I'd only buy them for installation. Though the mental 90 degree version is a very useful tool to have araound, I rarely find if I hire them that I can get all of them working due to the microswitch issue. The 'followspot' version I won't even talk about! Best Profiles I have used are either Robert Juliats or, the best units I own, by a country mile, and if you have the money and are feeling strong (They are heavy, though balance beautifully) buy them! Are the ADB Europe 1000/1200 range, both the RJ and the Europe have a beautifully clean, crisp, light output and are outstanding for Gobo use. The ADB Warp is a wonderful alternative to the Source 4 as well, though the lamp is again prone to blowing too quickly and easily, and the rings, whilst an outstanding alternative to conventional shutters, giving you more rigging space on tight bridges, do not stand up to touring, because they are ABS Plastic, they will crack from a hard knock. Of course, if weight. money and space are no option, then buy Neithammer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.