Conventional Fixtures - Random simple questions

[Shawncfer]

So Im at disney world with my family, and I've been to a couple of the shows, seen lights, and now I have some just random questions I've come across.

First, is the ETC Source 4 zoom, the same thing as a Shakespeare?

Second, why do the call the etc "source four". like thier Source four lekos, and source four pars, and source four parnels.

Third, So on some of the source four lekos, Ive seen this little box connected where the gel frame would usualy go, and the light shines through it. And from there, one time it might be a yellow gel, and later it might be red. What is this thats making different gels come up.

Fourth, can some gobos move?

I know these are kinf of random, but i was just curious

[soundman]

3rd - That would be a color scroller. Modern unites are DMX controlled and made up of two spools, one on each side of the opening. On the spools is a string of gel that is made by taping several pieces, or frames, together. There are motors inside that spin the spools to move the gel string back and forth. Google color scroller for more information.

Gobo's can be rotated by a gobo rotator.

[gafftapegreenia]

Source 4 is ETC's brand of modern conventional lighting instruments.

Shakespeare is Altman's brand of modern conventional lighting instruments.

Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlights or ERS's, can either be fixed beam or changeable beam,aka 'zoom'. Leko and Source 4 are both colloquial terms, for the same thing, the ERS. In general, Leko refers to anything pre-Source 4, such as the Altman 360Q. Think of it like calling all facial tissue Kleenex. This confusion of terms is something ESTA with its new eSET program is trying to help alleviate.

Both Altman and ETC make zoom instruments based on the latest technologies in ERS instrument.

Also, ETC did their ERS first, Altman copied and as such pays a licensing fee.

[SteveB]

[QUOTE=Shawncfer;136978]

"Second, why do the call the etc "source four". like thier Source four lekos, and source four pars, and source four parnels."

It's called a Source 4 as the lamp filament, which was a proprietary design specific to ETC lighting fixtures, is composed of 4 elements, thus the "source" has 4 parts.



SB

[Shakspeares suck]

Originally Posted by gafftapegreenia

Shakespeare is Altman's brand of modern conventional lighting instruments.

Bwhahahahahahah!!!!!!!!! MODERN!?!?!?!?

[soundlight]

1) As has been said in other terms, nothing made by ETC is called a Shakespeare, and nothing made by Altman is called a Source Four. They each have their own product lines. The 12deg Shake does look an awful lot like an S4 zoom from far off, though.

2) Number of sets of coils in the HPL series lamps, which are specifically designed for ETC Source Four series fixtures, as SteveB stated.

3) It's a scroller as noted by soundman - most units run off of a special power supply that carries power and data in one 4-pin cable. Some scrollers have more than one gel string, like the Apollo MXR, so you can do special color mixing/fading with them.

4) Yes, gobos can be rotated, or there are also devices like the Gam FilmFX and the Rosco Infinity Animation device that produce more of a linear moving or flickering. There is also a device from Apollo (smart move vertical) that allows a special template to move up and down.

Originally Posted by Shakspeares suck

Bwhahahahahahah!!!!!!!!! MODERN!?!?!?!?

I bench focused, cleaned and torqued the mega clamps of about a hundred of them this week.

They are most certainly modern. Not a Source Four and lacking in a few respects, but most certainly still modern. Get a field that flat and bright with a 575 in an 8x13, and I will be very, very surprised.

(I also bench focused a number of Century-Strand 10x23s and 8x13s. Those are most certainly not modern.)

[Les]

Originally Posted by soundlight

I bench focused, cleaned and torqued the mega clamps of about a hundred of them this week.

They are most certainly modern. Not a Source Four and lacking in a few respects, but most certainly still modern. Get a field that flat and bright with a 575 in an 8x13, and I will be very, very surprised.

(I also bench focused a number of Century-Strand 10x23s and 8x13s. Those are most certainly not modern.)

I have to agree with you on this. The Altman Shakespeare is every bit as modern as a Source Four and can be a reliable and effective instrument.

I also don't buy in to the Shakespeare as being a knock-off. If you look at the two side by side, the Altman definitely has it's own unique design features. They spent some real time and money on this, which is more than I can say about the Lightronics one which is an actual knock-off. The Shakes does lack in some areas but they are for the most part trivial things. They both use dichroic technology, which some would say is copying ETC but come on, that's progress! Let's say "Drof Motor Co" was the first to use fuel injection. Then "Yvehc Motors" started using it on their cars. Would you say Yvehc copied Drof? I wouldn't. They're moving forward. One may have to pay another a fee to use their technology, but it's the best technology available so what else would you expect them to do?

[soundlight]

Originally Posted by Les

I have to agree with you on this. The Altman Shakespeare is every bit as modern as a Source Four and can be a reliable and effective instrument.

I also don't buy in to the Shakespeare as being a knock-off. If you look at the two side by side, the Altman definitely has it's own unique design features.

Each brand has their own enhanced ellipsoidal fixture. In my opinion, Altman fell rather short in some departments, like ease of serviceability. Give me a Source Four any day. However, this thread isn't the place to have the Shakespeare war. The Shakespeare is a decent fixture, albeit a bit short of the Source Four in my book. It is most certainly a modern ellipsoidal as compared to Lekolites, Colortran 5/50s, and 360s, and has the basic features of easy to adjust lamp cap, iris/rotator slot, rotating lens assembly/barrel, and interchangeable lens tubes.

[SteveB]

"Each brand has their own enhanced ellipsoidal fixture."

FWIW, Strand (EDIT: I should say that Phillips) has discontinued the entire "Strand" line of lighting fixtures, with Selecon being the new Strand fixture line. Bye, Bye SL's etc...

Steve B

[Les]

Originally Posted by SteveB

"Each brand has their own enhanced ellipsoidal fixture."

FWIW, Strand (EDIT: I should say that Phillips) has discontinued the entire "Strand" line of lighting fixtures, with Selecon being the new Strand fixture line. Bye, Bye SL's etc...

Steve B

I've sold 3 out of my 6 SL's on ebay so far. Man, you can't give those things away!