Vintage Style Event Lighting with Modern Features
July 31st, 2024 - 09:26
Fixtures with a retro look that save energy and labour while giving you the look you love.
The vintage aesthetic is one that has never really gone out of fashion. Because of this many manufacturers produce a range of lighting for an array of applications in a classic style. With that warm tungsten glow we all love being replaced with precisely tuneable LED’s, these products further expand on functionality, adding an additional layer of reliability for peace of mind.
Join us as we take a look at some offerings and their applications for an ageless look from Chauvet Professional & Vari-lite.
Kicking off with just a few from Chauvet Professional in their strike range, we can see they have drawn some real inspiration from that classic rock vibe.
The Chauvet Professional – Strike 1
Big, bold, bright, an outdoor ready blinder that makes an awesome strobe or flood light.
Like a well-used leather jacket, finished in matt black, it’s wire mesh covered lens is capable of emitting everything from blindingly bright washes to subtle orange glows, using emulated “red shift” to mimic legacy incandescent models. On the back it has all the contemporary features you’ll be used to, including IP65 rated powercon and control via DMX or RDM. This blinder would complement live music and perfectly build the atmosphere with 16-bit dimming and a smooth fade to black. Just a few of these fixtures have the power to get you the look you need, but really impress when rigged side by side.
Chauvet Professional – Strike P38
Compact, punchy, outdoor-ready 90W warm white strobe blinder.
If you’re not quite ready to turn the amps up to eleven, this smaller model might be just what you’re looking for. With similar features to the strike 1, the P38 provides a slightly tighter beam angle of 27°, with a lux of 325 at five metres. It’s space saving dimensions and weight of just 3.8kg, means this is a fantastic option for venues with closer audiences, or perhaps an excuse to pack in more fixtures for more options when busking.
Chauvet Professional – STRIKE Array 1
Versatile Outdoor ready blinders, with a classic look and tool free configuration.
The last in our line up from Chauvet’s classically inspired fixtures comes in the form of the adaptable Strike Array 1, providing a little more of a modern look, and a lot more configuration options. Sold as a set of four with separate driver, the unit’s central pod can be removed and hung with the original yoke. Ensuring you’re able to get that amber glow just where you want, or dazzle audiences in a blinder configuration. With it’s more modern look this set bridges the gap between rock, and lets the cameras roll instead, with variable pulse width modulation, and a high CRI for broadcast applications.
Moving on to Vari-lite
With classic vintage pedigree, Vari-lite and their history in rock and roll touring, providing lights for the likes of Pink Floyd, you’d be shocked if they didn’t appear here. Since their development of the first moving head, they’ve continued to push forward to develop a range that’s application span beyond the touring scene. Because of this, we’ve chosen a few fixtures to talk about that you might be more familiar with from their application in theatre.
Vari-lite – VL800 EventPar WW and RGBW
A retro-style modern replacement for the classic tungsten parcan
A staple of generic stage lighting, the parcan has been around for a long time, but with original hot and inefficient models on the way out, Vari-lite answered the call for a cooler running, more energy efficient one. The VL800 EventPar replaces the lamp of the classic fixture, with either a Warm White or RGBA LED. Beyond the already vast colour preset options, matching traditional gel numbering, the fixture is supplied with a colour frame, catering for those that prefer a more traditional approach.
The fixtures body, at first glance, may seem indistinguishable from its predecessor. Available in four standard colours black, bronze, white and polished aluminium, it can either blend into or enhance its surroundings. It’s two-part multipurpose yoke removes the need for a floor plate, while also accepting omega brackets and traditional clamps, making it a breeze to rig and de-rig.
Down low, or up high it’s definitely a light to take note of, if you’re looking to upgrade and take advantage of its true1 in/out linking, or just add a little vintage vibe.
Vari-lite – VL2600 Range
Full featured moving lights for live events, with colour range and CRI suitable for theatre.
The VL2600 series of fixtures including, wash, spot, and profile released in 2018, with their distinctive movement and light quality, have become a classic within their own right in the live events industry. But the workhorse lights just got better, still able to create the classic looks you’ve come to know and love, their new light engine provides a higher output with a more sustainable approach.
Reliant on the used engines being returned, Vari-lite have pushed this development forward, with their users, and the environment in mind. Their scheme to reuse returned engines, eliminates 97% of waste by retreating these parts, with the remaining 3% being sustainably recycled. Extending the life of your fixture and allowing for a shift towards a minimal waste circular economy within the events industry. This paired with the broad list of great features, means there CMY colour mixing, variable CTO, fixed and rotating gobo wheels, iris, and frost, will remain available to you long into the future.
With this incredibly popular series of fixtures, you may already have some in your rig that could benefit from the upgrade. If you’d like to find out more about pricing and options for installation, please contact one of our sales team.
If you’d like to read more about Vari-lite and their vision for more sustainable fixtures, you can see what they said about their upgrade light engine here.
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