Martin MAC Viper High CRI Lamp

The Martin MAC Viper line of automated luminaires are extremely popular due to their extensive feature set, great color mixing, small size and weight, quiet operation and more.  You will find them on concerts, television shows, Broadway and other theatre, corporate shows and more.  The MAC Viper range ships with an Osram Lok-It HTI1000W/PS lamp which is a wonderful source.

Osram has recently updated this lamp with some design improvements and suppliers are changing over to the newest revision.


The lamp can be ordered as Osram code 54385 or Martin P/N: 97010346.

Osram has recently developed a new lamp for the MAC Viper series that has also been approved by Martin.  The Osram Lok-It HTI1000W/PS Brilliant is an alternative for situations where quality of light is key to the performance.  This lamp delivers enhanced color rendition (CRI >95), resulting in better performance in critical applications such as theatre and TV productions.

The color temperature is the same as the original lamp, but there is no green peak in the spectrum; resulting in no further need to use the minus-green filter from the static color wheel.  The output appears more brilliant and the colors from the CMY mixing system even more vibrant than with the standard lamp. The only downside being a slightly lower output (-5%) compared to the standard lamp.

The lamp can be ordered as Osram code 53973 or Martin P/N: 97010351.


Martin has also approved an alternate lamp from Philips for the MAC Viper series.  The Philips MSR Gold 1000 MiniFastFit lamp has a slightly longer lifetime (900 hrs.) than the Osram lamp, but a little lower output (-10%) and a CRI around 80.

The lamp can be ordered as Philips code 928171405115 or Martin P/N: 97010350.



The following comparison chart utilizes data supplied by the lamp manufacturers and is a great way to understand the differences between the lamps:

All of the above lamps are now available from lamp retailers as well as direct from Martin.  Be sure to ask your rental company for the best lamp for your application.

The NEW Scanner from Martin

Martin Professional has released a new mirrored fixture called the RUSH Scanner 1 LED.  Taking on some iconic design elements from the classic Martin 1220 and Martin 518 scanners, the RUSH Scanner 1 LED is a totally new and updated fixture.

The RUSH Scanner 1 LED is based on a 90W white LED engine; the unit boasts an impressive 2300 Lumen output from the fixed 15 degree lens.  All the features you would expect come standard including remote focus, both rotating and fixed gobo wheels, two color wheels, an independent prism, along with dimming and strobing capabilities.

Programming is simple via 16 DMX channels, or you can use stand alone programming, or even audio triggering.  Movement is accomplished by moving the mirror through its 170 degree pan and 75 degree tilt.  Weighing in at only 21 lbs (9.6kg), the RUSH Scanner 1 LED is a great choice for many installations and productions.




The yoke is adjustable and can both extend and be used as a floor stand! 






The following video shows the RUSH Scanner 1 LED in action:

Accessorize Now with New VDO Sceptron Items

The Martin creative LED strips known as VDO Sceptron just received several new accessories.  You can read about the previous accessories here and the great line of diffusers here.  Creative opportunities are abundant with the VDO Sceptron and P-3 System Controllers and now the new accessories allow for even more flexible designs and usages.

The first new accessory is the Pivot Coupler.  With this nifty item you can attach VDO Sceptron strips together and then adjust the angle in 15 degree increments.  In fact, you can select every 15 degree angle between 0-180 degrees!  This part allows designers to come up with amazing configurations that are easy for technicians to build.

This accessory is now available from Martin and Martin dealers as part number "91611793 VDO Sceptron Pivot Coupler".

The next new accessory is a Floor Stand that allows the VDO Sceptron unit to be mounted on the deck.  This is ideal when used as an uplight, a front light, or a direct view source placed on the ground.  The stand can be installed in two different methods, either directly on the end or inset to allow coupling of multiple VDO Sceptron units.  When combined with the Asymetrical Wall Wash Lens it makes for a great uplight system.

This accessory is now available from Martin and Martin dealers as part number "91611792 Set of 2 VDO Sceptron Floorstands".  Note that they are sold in pairs.

The Low Profile Half Coupler allows for a quick and easy connection to a VDO Sceptron and negates the need to use a sliding bracket and half coupler by combining the abilities into a single half coupler.

This accessory is now available from Martin and Martin dealers as part number "91611790 Low Profile VDO Scpetron Half CouplerHalf".

Finally, Martin now also offers a Spigot Adapter which allows the VDO Sceptron units to easily connect to many standard OEM accessories such as a Doughty Turtle Plate and more.  With the Spigot connector endless configurations are possible such as upright stands or other unique placements.

This accessory is now available from Martin and Martin dealers as part number "91611791 VDO Sceptron Spigot Adapter 28mm".

Martin VDO Sceptron units have become very popular with designers around the world and are in use on major television shows, touring acts, and special events.  This video further describes the units and the possibilities:

Control a Universe for FREE with M-PC!

Martin M-Series systems have many great features that allow programmers to create exciting and dynamic lighting cues and shows.  One of the little-known functions is that M-PC enables one universe of output for FREE.  With no additional hardware or dongles, you can use M-PC to control lighting fixtures, media servers, and any DMX compatible device. 

The output is via Art-Net or sACN and will control anything that is patched to the first universe.  You simply have to connect the Ethernet from your computer to a node or Art-Net/sACN capable device.  There are no time restrictions or DMX interruptions, so anyone could use this in a show environment.  The only M-Series functions that are disabled are DMX IN and RDM capabilities.

In addition, with M-PC you can also access the FREE universe of DMX control via any ENTTEC capable USB to DMX device (USB DMX PRO, PRO MKII and OPEN USB DMX). With these units you can simply plug in the DMX line to the USB device and start programming.  Note that before you can use your ENTTEC device you will need to ensure its drivers are installed.  For details, see this page and scroll down to the "ENTTEC Devices" section.

 
M-PC is a full featured lighting control platform with total access to all the features of the M-Series control system.  Whether working with one universe or many, keyboard shortcuts can be extremely handy.  Here is a list of all the keyboard shortcuts that are compatible with M-PC.




To learn how easy it is to program M-Series on M-PC check out these tutorials:

MAC Axiom Hybrid Color Mix Options

The MAC Axiom Hybrid is a full featured luminaire that features beam, spot, and wash functionality.  I wrote all about it here.  As with most automated lights there are many different functions that programmers and designers need to be aware of.  One of the important options of the MAC Axiom Hybrid is the ability to toggle the color mix system between two different modes via DMX settings in the control channel.  The MAC Axiom Hybrid uses dichroic color flags to mix the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and CTO colors.  Each color adjusts from low saturation to full saturation.

When in Snap mode, each color will snap to its lowest level of saturation that fills the aperture of the light.  This occurs at 1% for each color.  You can then adjust the saturation amount of the color from 1% to 100% as you adjust the associated DMX value.  When the DMX value for the channel is at zero, all the color will be removed from the aperture.  By default the MAC Axiom Hybrid color mix system operates in Snap mode.

Fade mode will change the behavior of the color mix system to allow for partial colors at low saturation.  When adjusting the color channel between 1% and 30% a partial covering of the aperture is visible.  At 30% and above, the color will completely fill the aperture starting with the least saturation and increasing to the most saturation as the channel increases to 100%.  The split colors that are possible with Fade mode allow for some unique and creative color combinations becasuse each of the color flags (CMY) are offset from each other.

Toggling between the two color modes is very easy by just adjusting the control channel to a specified level.  The control channel of the MAC Axiom Hybrid is Channel 23 of the light and the following values will assign the color mode:

DMX 34: CMY Snap Mode

DMX 35: CMY Fade Mode

Of course your console library may label these settings differently or exclude them all together.  Be sure to check your library to ensure you can access this option.

The following video shows the difference when using Snap versus Fade mode with a simple crossfade on Cyan.  The same sine wave effect is running on cyan from 0-100% at a medium speed for both modes.  You can clearly see the difference when the color mode is changed from Snap to Fade.

Designers and programmers may find that Snap mode works best for most situations, however effects that continually change color or certain slow color transitions tend to look better when in Fade mode.  With a good understanding of the usage of the color modes, any designer or programmer can get the most out of the color system in the MAC Axiom Hybrid.

The Power of Sceptron

 

The VDO Sceptron creative video products from Martin have gained popularity on a multitude of different production types.  With the adoption of these powerful products, more accessories are becoming available too.

Currently there are thirteen different diffusers available for the VDO Sceptron range with both white and smoked options available.  The smoked versions allow the units to virtually disappear when not illuminated from within.  Several lens options also aid in direct viewing or wall washing applications.  The video below demonstrates the multitude of choices and also demonstrates the simple method to swap diffusers on VDO Sceptron units.

In addition to the actual VDO Sceptron units, there are also several P-3 video processor options to choose from.  P3-050, P3-100, P3-150, P3-200, and P3-300 are rack mount units of varying pixel output sizes that allow productions to purchase systems designed for only what is needed.  Plus, the P-3PC software provides over 20,000 pixels of control from any PC as well as diagnostic tools and layout creation abilities.  Furthermore, Hippotizer V4.0 and greater units can now have P-3PC installed internally for direct P-3 output from an industry standard media server.

This previous post describes why P-3 processors are better than using DMX to control Martin creative video products.

The multitude of possibilities with Martin creative video products continue to amaze designers around the world.  The VDO Sceptron, P-3 processors, and VC products all work together to help create interesting custom video displays and installations.

 

The Amazing MAC Axiom Hybrid

Martin Professional has released the new MAC Axiom Hybrid which is an amazingly powerful fixture.  The unit has many features that enable lighting designers to achieve beam, spot, and wash functionality from a single, compact fixture.





The MAC Axiom Hybrid uses a 440w short-arc lamp to achieve a bright output throughout its entire zoom range.  The zoom is amazing as it is continuous from 2 degrees to 44 degrees.  There are no modes or additional lenses required to change from beam to spot.  In fact, the zoom from 2 to 44 is extremely fast and can be used with or without focus tracking.

The nine rotating gobos are all designed to be strong aerials or great projections.  Each is on its own easy-to-change carrier. As is common with rotating gobos, each can rotate at different speeds, index and shake.  The entire wheel can also spin in opposite directions and at differing speeds.

The fixed gobo wheel has many different abilities combined into the single wheel.  First there are a number of beam reducers that tighten the beam to a near pencil beam effect.  Next you will find twelve fixed patterns (again a good combo of aerial and projection).  Following that there is a frost filter and partial animation effect.  The latter is similar to the animation effect on the MAC Viper Profile.





The MAC Axiom Hybrid's two prisms with prism lineator effects provide superb image multiplication.  The prism lineator function allows movement of the prism within the optical path to alter amount of overlap in the prism facet projections.

An independent beam softener can be inserted into the optical path to reduce the hot-spot created by the short arc lamp.  This is especially useful for crisp gobo projections or flat-field illumination needs.

The MAC Axiom Hybrid also sports a great color system consisting of CMY flags that have been tuned to match the Viper series.  An independent variable CTO and a fixed color wheel with sixteen colors plus open add to the color abilities.




 
With a low weight, servo motors for movement speed and accuracy, and a compact size the Martin MAC Axiom Hybrid is quickly becoming a new industry standard.