The new lights are replacing 12 tungsten moving head washes as part of a general lighting upgrade which is part of a programme to transition to LED.
Australia’s Pilbeam Theatre in Rockhampton, Queensland, which is a live performing arts hub, has chosen Robe Lighting’s T1 PC wash moving lights for its auditorium.
The new lights are replacing 12 tungsten moving head washes as part of a general lighting upgrade which is part of a programme to transition to LED.
Jim Thorogood, who is the theatre’s head of lighting, was integrally involved in the specification of the T1 PCs together with Ashley Salta, who oversees all the equipment spends.
The aim was to find a good-quality product that had more output than the previous tungsten moving lights. The T1s were chosen for their richness and depth of the light produced by the multichip LED. “It was far superior to anything else we looked at,” Thorogood said, adding that he also liked the barndoor mechanism and other features of the T1.
He added: “We were keen to replace tungsten with the newer technology, but the source also had to match as much as possible in appearance and style, and the T1 was the only fixture that did this well, specifically in the white ranges where the quality was outstanding.”
Up to five shows would run during a standard (pre-Covid) week in the Pilbeam’s busy schedule. Sometimes, a show would play daily for three or four weeks and other times there will be a selection of different productions.
From Salta’s management perspective, “it was vital we chose a product that is reliable and well supported, both now and in the future”.
Thorogood feels that they have developed a good relationship with both Robe and Australian distributor Jands. “The transition to LED lighting is a big step and we are keen on getting as much tungsten emulation as possible from the replacement fixtures so we can offer Jim and any visiting LDs all the effects that they know and love but in a new and more sustainable source,” he said.
Other advantages of LED include reduced power requirement and less heat being generated, which in turn reduces the need for an AC.
The theatre’s low pros arch meant having a wide zoom was important, and the T1 scored there too. “We have found a wash light that’s great quality, compact in size and weight and offers great versatility,” Thorogood said.
The high colour rendering is also needed for perfect flesh tones, and the additive mixing is another essential for the range of performance genres that they light.
