LED Source Four

[chausman]

I keep seeing people mention the LED S4, and recommending it, but where are you getting information? People where mentioning specs, and how it would compare, but all I know is that it looks similar to the current s4, and has a few key features mentioned in Fred's keynote. Where is this information coming from? It's not on ETC's website that I can see. Anyone?

Chase


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[MPowers]

There was a demo unit at the ETC booth at LDI. We are one of a number of ETC dealers that have been able to have a public demo of a unit. I'm sure there will be several at Long Beach. I "think" they are planning an official release this summer.

 

[ScottT]

I saw one yesterday, but never got any specifications for it.

 

[bishopthomas]

The only question I have is the obvious one: How much?

 

[derekleffew]

The only question I have is the obvious one: How much?

Hard to price a product isn't on the market yet, but I believe someone said MSRP $2500. (Which coincidentally happens to compare directly with the Coemar LEDko, likely its closest competitor.)

See also this post.

 

[Tex]

For those who have seen it, how does it compare in performance to the Aledin 630SX?

 

[CrazyTechie]

In PLSN's January 2012 magazine there were a few pages dedicated to LED Lekos and Profile Fixtures. There is some information about the Source4 LED.

ETC Source Four LED

LED Colors: X7 color system, ROAGCBI

Lamp Life: 50,000 hrs.

Color Temp: Variable

Lens Options: 5°-90° including two zoom ranges

Shutters: 4

Gobo Slot: Yes

Iris Slot: Yes

DMX Channel Count: 15

RDM Ready: Yes

Power Consumption: 150W

Size: 26” x 6.9”

Weight: 24 lbs.

Availability: Early 2012

Retail Price: $2,500

Comments: The Source Four LED is compatible with all existing Source Four Lens sets and is available in ETC’s seven-color system plus all Tungsten or all Daylight LEDs.

 

[ElectroCarp]

Got to play with one yesterday and get some (more or less) hands on time with it. ETC wont release a price for it until around the end of the month and the guy from ETC could not say how much. Though it will come in three configurations. The entire instrument, one minus the barrel and a version that is just the body. Its a slick fixture but kinda hard to explain how it holds up to a previous 575w S4. They can punch deep saturated colors better then the previous ones but when it comes to pure white its about a 2 to 1 so not as bright as we al want them yet but that is not to say that it is not a wonderfully performing fixture. chausman, ill post more in depth details about it if you'd like.

 

[chausman]

. chausman, ill post more in depth details about it if you'd like.

Only if you have the time and want to. I didn't know it was at any dealers. I guess I need to go call a few people now...

 

[ScottT]

Got to play with one yesterday and get some (more or less) hands on time with it.

Does anyone know how many of these there are? I was told at SETC there is only one...

By the way, the ETC guys aren't joking when they say they sleep with the S4 LED - it goes in their hotel room with them!

 

[DavidNorth]

Does anyone know how many of these there are? I was told at SETC there is only one...

There are many more than one. You'd be surprised.

David

 

[ElectroCarp]

They are not at dealers yet, the ETC guys say that its a "prototype" but a fully functioning one that they will be putting on the market in a few weeks.

 

[ElectroCarp]

Only if you have the time and want to. I didn't know it was at any dealers. I guess I need to go call a few people now...

The post above covers most of the basics. It does have that beautiful 7 color LED palate that we all know and love. A lot of people's major concerns is how does it hold up against the traditional S4s? well they are not yet bright enough to beat out a 575 on pure white but since you don't need to drop gel for color you're not cutting down your output from the transmission rate of the gel. So it can punch deeper colors better then previously. Also I believe the ETC guy mentioned that they will be releasing an LED version that is just white LEDs to which you can obviously drop gel into.

Now for gobos.... The only issue with them that is when you run the barrel one way you do get a slight RGB.... whatever halo (run it the other way and its fine i forget which way does what). But they have plastic like diffusion (heavier then typical gel) with a 95% transmission rate that you can drop in that eliminates this problem and since the gate is so cool I wonder if you could indeed just drop a regular diffusion like an R100 or something similar.

Hope this helps a little bit and answers some questions.

 

[Esoteric]

The post above covers most of the basics. It does have that beautiful 7 color LED palate that we all know and love. A lot of people's major concerns is how does it hold up against the traditional S4s? well they are not yet bright enough to beat out a 575 on pure white but since you don't need to drop gel for color you're not cutting down your output from the transmission rate of the gel. So it can punch deeper colors better then previously. Also I believe the ETC guy mentioned that they will be releasing an LED version that is just white LEDs to which you can obviously drop gel into.

Now for gobos.... The only issue with them that is when you run the barrel one way you do get a slight RGB.... whatever halo (run it the other way and its fine i forget which way does what). But they have plastic like diffusion (heavier then typical gel) with a 95% transmission rate that you can drop in that eliminates this problem and since the gate is so cool I wonder if you could indeed just drop a regular diffusion like an R100 or something similar.

Hope this helps a little bit and answers some questions.

The only problem with the dffuser is that it is HEAVY diffusion. I would probably use a traditional diffusion. But at this point, from what I have seen of it, it falls in with all the other LEDkos. It would be great for a high side light, or a saturate pattern wash, but for the primary use of an ERS (front light) it just doesn't have the punch yet for much more than a 20' throw (and that would be pushing it).

Mike

 

[rochem]

...Also I believe the ETC guy mentioned that they will be releasing an LED version that is just white LEDs to which you can obviously drop gel into.

(Emphasis mine)

Is this your assumption, or did he actually say that? Even a 7-color LED source doesn't have anywhere near the full-spectrum CRI of an incandescent lamp, and the colors would be completely off. More than likely, it would require a new line of gel products to be made specifically for the S4 LED, and even so, the available gel colors would be quite limited and would have drastically different transmission rates. Did they have a plan to deal with this?

 

[ElectroCarp]

I honestly cant remember 100% but i thought I remembered the guy mentioning something like that. If so it might not be until the second gen. when they should be brighter. I could be completely wrong but for some reason that was part of what I thought he said so don't quote me on it haha

 

[icewolf08]

Here is some info on the LED source four:
View attachment Source Four LED.pdf

 

[SteveB]

(Emphasis mine)

Is this your assumption, or did he actually say that? Even a 7-color LED source doesn't have anywhere near the full-spectrum CRI of an incandescent lamp, and the colors would be completely off. More than likely, it would require a new line of gel products to be made specifically for the S4 LED, and even so, the available gel colors would be quite limited and would have drastically different transmission rates. Did they have a plan to deal with this?

This is true of any lighting fixture that uses other then incandescent. I would be surprised if the color media manufacturers would make a specific line of filters as in reality a filter does just that, filters. You can't put back what ain't there to begin with !.

The spiky CRI's of LED's are certainly going to be a challenge for a designer to learn how the assorted filters function in an LED white output only fixtures. Just like you learn how they respond in a 5600K xenon follow spot, it's going to be all trial and error.

One good question is how long is it going to take the pre-viz companies to add the LED fixtures into the data files.

 

[Pie4Weebl]

Here is some info on the LED source four:
View attachment 6580

I like that the answer to the question "how soon will it be sold" is "lens tube sold separately"

 

[derekleffew]

I like that the answer to the question "how soon will it be sold" is "lens tube sold separately"

The question is "How Will It Be Sold?", not "How soon...?" Still, this page seems particularly indicative that the PDF is from a PowerPoint presentation, probably to educate dealers and not intended for the end-user.