Ever have to remove a bloted lamp from a S-4 Junior? Have to take apart the entire
fixture meaning getting at some screws in the
barrel that are not easy to get at in order to divide the
fixture in half so as to remove the lamp. The S-4 Junior is not a real S-4
fixture for comparision.
Had some real S-4 Lekos that even I could not in any way get bench focused properly - just not enough adjustment sufficient to in following all the steps at times to get a
fixture to do a proper
bench focus at times on some of them. Lot number issues, problems with getting Euro fixtures mixed up in your U.S. inventory - gee was that a #8-32 screw or a M4 screw I just stripped the hole in finding out about? Getting 575w lamp caps in a 750w inventory and by chance that one 575w
fixture out on a show where it needed to be a 750w
fixture...
Stripped screws in the lamp
base cap assembly requiring only me in the shop with a lot of pressure and a Klien screw
driver,
yoke breaks that get stripped and sieze up requiring a bench vise and vise grips to loosen up, focus knob assemblies that sieze up, lamp
base retaining assemblies that are slightly out of alignment,
lens train glides that fall off, changed lot numbers of
lens trains that don't align with other ones... On the S-4
fixture, we are talking about lots of cast aluminum and lots of lesser grade bolts or brass fittings that at times don't work well. Heck, believe it was
PRG that changed at one
point the size of the S-4
PAR yoke for the industry to the
point that one could not 180 degree swivel the
fixture in the
yoke any longer due to a certain shortening of it.
ETC in a big mistake did not shorten the
lamp cap knob sufficient that you could have a 1/2"
bolt mounting the
yoke to what ever and
swing the
fixture with the
lamp cap retaining knob past that knob in clearance. Ever have a
lamp cap retaining knob sieze up and strip the hole on you? The S-4
fixture is a good advancement but it's not perfect either.
The
ETC S-4
fixture and
line of
fixture is a good brand of
fixture, don't get me wrong, it's what almost 15 years old now however in production. The
360Q is what... 25 years old now and also still in use and sold also. The S-4
fixture by way of all "Theater Crafts" type articles about it's design was based upon the
360Q and other
fixture and made as a new generation
fixture to solve the problems of the second generation lighting
fixture just as the
360Q solved the problems of the 360 once
halogen lamps came out and became economic. For Second generation fixtures,
Altman 360Q line really made it's way in the industry as a more economic but quality product over the optically better
Strand fixtures at the time also a standard in the industry. Before this,
Strand was about the king of
Leko I believe would be about proper in any history.
First in history the
Leko, next the efficient
halogen lamp, than the refined optics and lamps for the third generation lamp/
fixture most companies are in now. Fourth generation lamps are out there for use in most non-ETC fixtures now and I believe
ETC is working on a fourth generation lamp also now. Lots of concepts in what's going to become the newest standard in fourth generation
leko lamp - lots of technology out there to look into for what's going to become the next say
HPL or HX-600 on the market. Seemingly there is a rule in what becomes important. Refine the lamp first, refine the optics next, than refine the
fixture. The company that does all three best is often the one that sells the most popular next generation of
fixture. Watch for them liquid cooled internal
reflector,
dichroic coated
globe, electronic balancing or
transformer lamps. Find what
fixture they go into and you know what's probably a
fixture 20 years from now the best. Perhaps by the time most people get out of college, they will be looking into some form of
Leko that has a controlled ionized self dimming by way of alignment of ions
lens that dims without loosing
color temperature, that
dichroic filters and or neomodium coats and color corrects by way of adjustment the amount of amber
shift that light puts out and you won't even need dimmers or the dimmers perhaps will get into even more avanced than
sine wave chopping and data stamping technology. Perhaps in the size and weight of a S-4
fixture you will be able to change the focus and
shutter cut remotely without much added cost beyond inflation and technology costs. By that time perhaps the
360Q at some
point won't be made any longer either... perhaps. At this
point they are still made and a decent
fixture also still.
Also getting about time that
ETC,
Altman and others come out with the next generation of
Leko given some limitations to the S-4 have no doubt been noted over the years which could withstand refinement. The Selcon
line like the HPR
line of lamp is probably the more advanced start to fourth generation equipment for the theater, but under development I'm sure and hear mention of is even more advanced gear TBA. Who knows who will have the next best
fixture ten years from now. Could be
Altman, could be say Times Square. Thing is that it's science and technology plus marketing. All are good fixtures out there in some way or another by way of product or balance of product with cost. Big following for the Selcon
fixture line out there in the industry, I hear about small knobs on them. Still in the industry, it's not an
ETC product that many love in addition to the following of the S-4 or what ever brand including
Strand still in as third generation, it having a following.
Heck, I was looking at some form of Elation wiggle light today. Looked kind of like a S-4
PAR - but a VeriLite version of it on one of their moving light
base. Thought at first it was like a new VL-5. Nope, it's just for all intensive purposes a S-4
PAR on a wiggle light frame. A Elation S-4
PAR that's a wiggle light and using a MSR 575/2 lamp. Can you say a lot of heat for a S-4
PAR clone
reflector? Ever have silver confetti blow out of a S-4
Leko after the demise of it's
reflector? Happens... But perhaps Elation/American DJ will have the next new
Leko or moving light everyone must have. Wide open market from across the world. Lots of technology for
fixture suppliers also just as lots of lamp companies out there.
ETC,
Strand, Selcon,
Altman, L&E, Times Square,
Leviton... plus more brands, they all have these days a third generation
Leko on the market. All have fan clubs, all produce a quality product. TBA is what is next and all brands have a
play in what even five years from now will start replacing the S-4
Leko in our inventories. Anyone note that snippit I posted in the question of the day about lamp technology? More efficient lamps with fixtures that take advantage of the advanced lamp technology, added to more refinement in
ease of use of the lamp and
fixture, and you have a new generation of
fixture line. Look at all the "
quick change" type fixtures out there. On the
Martin TW-1
fixture, my Phillips vendor rep sent me the pamphlet (with typo) on the "Phillips Fast Fit"
line of new lamps designed around the
quick change concept. Interesting lamps - and there is a few of them that don't even have fixtures they can be used for yet in the pamphlet - meaning that someone is working on new fixtures that will use them we don't know about yet. Constant upgrades in the industry.
Monumental was the S-4
line of
fixture as was the
360Q line of
fixture for different reasons. What's next we should discuss and debate because fourth generation fixtures and lamps are just a summer or two away.
