Focusing Source Four LED Ellipsoidals

While it would make me feel better to receive a fullly functioning VL1100 with gobos and power cable, is it more annoying to purchase your own that match your needs, or remove the included one(s) in order to install the one that matches your needs.
Nothing worse than pinwheels and stars when you want leaves and breakups.
 
While it would make me feel better to receive a fullly functioning VL1100 with gobos and power cable, is it more annoying to purchase your own that match your needs, or remove the included one(s) in order to install the one that matches your needs.
Nothing worse than pinwheels and stars when you want leaves and breakups.

Good question and point. I think it’s the cost as VL gobos are approx $50 ea. We have 9 fixtures, so after the fact, it’s now a $2300 problem. If I had had a say in the specifiations, I would have had them supplied with specific gobo’s, but the consultant never asked and we were so far out of the loop, plus the 8 years in build......

It’s just generally easier to deal with ML’s that come with SOMETHING.
 
We purchased 50 LED S4 Lustr (series 2) a few years ago, and I immediately noticed the same issue regarding the flat field.
To blend my front light as per our previous incadescents I did have to soft focus the LED fixtures more than I expected.
I ended up using Lee 253 diffusion in all of the front wash to edge blend them as well.

FYI the diffuser included for the LED S4's gobo slot is not holographic, but a regular fine diffusion but plastic. As mentioned it is designed to further homogonize the multiple LED's.
The only real effect I see when they're in vs when they're not, is looking directly at the fixtures. With the diffusion in place ( and nothing in the gel frame) it looks like an incadescent; with the diffusion not installed, the indivdual LED's are very obvious.
 
maybe someone should re-invent the hard and soft shutter system used in the Strand 264s and 764s which I loved.They must be put of patent by now.
 
In answer to the original question...
Assuming these focus like the Ovation Elipsoidals, you'll want to install the diffuser, and then rack the unit out of focus a little. You'll probably have more success going Blobby (pull the light into the center, like you're making more contrast in a gobo), rather than Fuzzy (blowing the focus out). You should only need to go out of focus a small amount.
 
If it makes you feel better, I just received some Vari-Lite 1100's. No Power-Con connectors. No gobo's. Yeah, thanks I thought, remind my why I buy that product ?.

Harkens back to the fact that the VL1000 was designed as a "theatre" fixtures (hence the tungsten lamp) and theatre designers will want their specific gobo load, and probably spares based on production. VL NEVER shipped stock gobos with the 1000, and I assume that tradition has continued through the 1100 and LED unit.
 
In answer to the original question...
Assuming these focus like the Ovation Elipsoidals, you'll want to install the diffuser, and then rack the unit out of focus a little. You'll probably have more success going Blobby (pull the light into the center, like you're making more contrast in a gobo), rather than Fuzzy (blowing the focus out). You should only need to go out of focus a small amount.

You do need to work with the focus on LED ellipoidals alot more. The Soft Focus Diffuser was designed as a beam homogenizer - for tight shutter cuts or gobo focus, the multi-chip array from the Selador line ends up projecting multiple shadows/focus points. The diffuser ahead in the optical train makes it function more like a single source. It won't give you a flatter beam or peakier beam, unfortunately.

I've often wondered if a donut in the accessory slot would give you a slight peak in the middle and be enough to help with blending. But as @Ford suggested, run the barrel a bit and you can get a slightly hotter center.
 
I've often wondered if a donut in the accessory slot would give you a slight peak in the middle and be enough to help with blending. But as @Ford suggested, run the barrel a bit and you can get a slightly hotter center.
I think that you'll find that donut cleans up artifacts, and generally gives you an even flatter field. It would probably work contrary to trying to induce a hot-spot
 
Harkens back to the fact that the VL1000 was designed as a "theatre" fixtures (hence the tungsten lamp) and theatre designers will want their specific gobo load, and probably spares based on production. VL NEVER shipped stock gobos with the 1000, and I assume that tradition has continued through the 1100 and LED unit.

I wonder if rental units go out the door with a "stock" set of gobo's. I've never rented one, so somebody else would have to answer that.

Note that it's not a big deal once we find the $2500, LOL.
 
Me again :) . More LED questions. My goal with our conversion to LED is to get as even a stage wash as Apple from their Steve Jobs Theater and the "soft box" look. I'm familiar with overlapping beam angles as opposed to just field angles as described in A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, BUT I've been told LEDs act differently

Musson carries both the soft focus diffuser (which comes with the S4 LED Series 2 Lustr) https://www.musson.com/soft-focus-diffuser-for-source-four-led.html

but also the Smooth Wash Diffuser https://www.musson.com/smooth-wash-diffuser-for-source-four-led.html

Do I need both? Has anyone had experience with either? I've also been told to buy the Chauvet Lens tubes rather than the EDLTs since they have better optics, so keep in mind we are probably going to do that.

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