Seachanger

[pjc]

Has anyone had expereince with the Seachanger or something comporable for a Source 4 - theatrical application instead of scrollers?

Why are we still using high maintenance scrollers?

http://www.seachangeronline.com/index.asp

Cheers, PJC.

[soundlight]

Well, there is the price of the seachanger. Beyond many budgets.

[len]

I have used the HES version, called a Color Merge. It's an older product, and it doesn't have an amber filter, which I think the SeaChanger does. It's a bit slow in transitioning between colors, but that's really a minor inconvenience. I do like the color saturation of the HES.

Never used or seen a seachanger in person.

[DarSax]

Never used it in person, heard that they're absolutely great to work with. The only reason they're not more widespread is the cost, or so I've heard.

[Lightingguy32]

Seachangers are good for venues that know that they will be using colored spots (source fours in particular) a lot. This add on is similar to the category of an add on such as an SX4, EDLT, or any other special effects add on to an ellipsoidal. The seachanger is relatively new on the market and still quite expensive for a school auditorium to be using. Unless your school does a lot of musicals or plays, the seachanger is a bit on the redundant side, but don't get me wrong it is an awesome add on.

[Pie4Weebl]

IMO the price is the biggest limiting factor, for just a bit more you can just make the leap to a VL1000, so its an awkward spot price wise.

The one place I would love to use it would be for side light in a dance recital.

[lightbyfire]

I would say another limitation is that unless you are using for a special of some kind you need to buy several because no matter what a CMYG will never blend exactly with a gel wash, so your wash either has to be a changer or scrollers but not a mix, unless you like breaking rules, which can be fun.

I am sure that with time prices will come down, but really the next step is digital lighting as conventional source, which provides much more standardization, since the dichroics can occasionally have varriations in their saturation and position on the motor axis. Digital color takes that factor down significantly.

I think the seachanger is a great product that will unfortunately become obsolete before it gets cheap enough for most users.

[zac850]

Originally Posted by len

I have used the HES version, called a Color Merge. It's an older product, and it doesn't have an amber filter, which I think the SeaChanger does. It's a bit slow in transitioning between colors, but that's really a minor inconvenience. I do like the color saturation of the HES.
Never used or seen a seachanger in person.

I second every part of this. the Color Merge was great to work with, nice saturated colors, speed, eh, but slow changes are gorgeous.

Why are we using scrollers. Cost mainly. Also, there are times that a designer decides that he wants R17 and GOSH DARN IT HE WANTS R17. Scrollers are nice because you can put the gel color you want in, and thats the color. As opposed with RGB or even RGBA system trying to color mix the color out (which is usually near impossible).

In the same light (pardon the pun) lets say I have scrollers in my side-light position for a show. I can only fit 3 fixtures on this side-light boom. I want to be able to match perfectly the colors in all three of my top light systems. With the SeaChanger or anything simmilar, this would be harder.

However, I think mostly its cost. I'd love to spec a full rig of VL3500s, but sadly I doubt any producer would let me. Money talks.