Minuit Une IVL Photon. The Core of the Laser

French company Minuit Une, five years after the success of their IVL Square, has gone to another level with their 2nd generation fixture. Alain René Lantelme, General Manager of Axente the distributor of Minuit Une in France, presents the new luminaire in the following vidéo.

The core of their luminaires uses, surprisingly, the reflection of a laser rotating ultra fast to create light curtains or “blades” of light. This second generations’ source is classed 3R, does not require any throw distance (similar to class IIIA in the U.S. Regulations), and may be used without any special authorization in public areas following the IEC 60825-3 guidelines.

In simple terms, although the source is a laser, the fixture is used just like any standard LED fixture. This new generation enables tighter beams and less “spill” with long throws.

Fortement attachée à l’expérience utilisateur et toujours avide d’échanges avec les opérateurs et éclairagistes, Minuit Une a accordé une place prépondérante aux nombreux retours du terrain avant de s’atteler à l’IVL Photon.

The cylinder shape enables the fixture to be similar to the others in the lighting rig, making its difference barely noticeable. The scanner is, in this case, a 360º high frequency (>330 Hz), able to hit 8 mirrors, multiplying the possible shapes. Each mirror is double-sided, one side is a smooth/mirror side, the other is frosted; each one has a 16-bit independent tilt for fine focusing.

La pièce maîtresse de l’IVL Photon, le Moving Frosted Core.

In the middle of the mirrors, the innovative Moving Frosted Core, a frosted vertically inserted dome enabling the beam to be concentrated. The MFC allows for new effects, a beam with a very strong punch, creating an astonishing central halo.

A multi-purpose fixture, the IVL Photon, is a contender in three categories: the 3D Space Ray, Decorative Frost, and the Creative Punch!
Firstly the immersive experience with sharp beams of light bouncing off the mirrors, multiplying in space, with a 45º perspective.
Second, switching to the frosted side of the mirrors(in 0,25 sec), the beams become washes, with saturated colors visible in a 180º range and an output of 4000 lux. Finally, the main module, the MFC concentrates the backing effects, part fireball, and part strobe with flashes punching out at 20000 lux.

Minuit Une has made this lighting Octopus, more manageable and user-friendly. It is designed to be programmed like a multi-instance fixture, each mirror is used as an individual fixture with its position, intensity, and RGB value. The possibility to create asymmetrical effects, using either the mirror or frosted sides of the mirrors independently makes for endless looks. Be aware of the fact that the dimmer curves are inevitably limited by the technology.

Launch video – IVL Photon by Minuit Une from Minuit Une on Vimeo.

The ninth module, the main module, divides the beams, strobe, and zoom of the Moving Frosted Core. Thus, by using the E-Gobo, the beam is either 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, or 256 beams, then adjust the size, position, and rotation speed. Control via 60 DMX channels is simplified by downloading the fixture personality, on the Minuit Une website, for Chamsys, Avolites GdMA2, and GdMA3 lighting desks. There are also demo shows available to get to know how to use the fixture.

Easy to set up, the IVL Photon is a relatively light and small fixture 16 kg and 48 cm in diameter, has a wide standard yoke tightened by handles. The cooling is done by an active fan system, be careful to not put it directly on the floor nor in set pieces that could obstruct the ventilation of the machine.
To ensure long-term maintenance, the fixture is made of different modules. The mirrors, the 200w power section, and other parts can be changed in less than 10 minutes and are entirely Plug & Play. The rear section has an LCD screen, DMX connections, soon to include RDM, and a Micro-SD slot for software updating.
After being shown to a handful of lucky visitors, the IVL Photon is now available worldwide thanks to a strong sales network. The first deliveries began in December 2021.

For more information on the Axente website and on the Minuit Une website that includes photos, and also tricks, and tips that will help use this amazing fixture.