Make a product more affordable without sacrificing quality. This is the motto of the ETC ColorSource range which welcomes the “Junior” version of the ColorSource PAR as Jonathan Grimaux and Eric Leroy from ETC France explain to us in this video.
The compact version of the ColorSource PAR and its eight output collimators, the Junior has a more cubic design than its big brother. With its featherweight of 2.5 kg, it is ultra-handy and easy to install. Its casing houses 16 Luxeon LEDs distributed behind only four collimators. It offers a beam opening of 15.3°.
This angle can be modified via several optional lenses which are inserted into the supports arranged around the optical output. The filters are varied (reducer, washer, linear, beam shaper, etc.) and can be combined.
Like its “classic” ColorSource PAR ancestor, this little Junior is available in several versions, here there are two. The “basic” version is equipped with RGBL LEDs and will be more comfortable on pastels and “skin tone” (therefore higher CRI). The PAR Jr DB (for Deep Blue) uses a blue with a wavelength that leans towards Indigo and will favor the amplitude of the palette and saturated colors.
Like other ETC Led projectors, the PAR Jr benefits from the source management system (patented) which takes into account the temperature of the light source engine to better manage derating and the integrity of the color balance. This management also protects the sources on the power side.
To guarantee an optimal lifespan (10-year manufacturer’s warranty on the LED cluster), they are powered reasonably and never at maximum capacity.
We are told that the fixture could have been even brighter, even if with only four collimators it already delivers nearly 2,300 lumens. Another advantage of this intelligent management is cooling. The fixture, without fans, therefore uses a passive cooling system by natural convection, it is therefore completely silent.
On the management and control side, simplification is essential. Just a few 7-segment displays and three buttons do the trick to address the fixture and navigate within the menu to choose one of its four operating modes (between 1 and 6 channels).
The fixture can be controlled in classic DMX with RDM, we also note the presence of a PowerCON Input will allow up to 18 Junior units to be daisy-chained on the same power line.
The last major argument is the price. The ColorSource PAR Jr is very affordable, which given the promises made on its technical sheet should hit the mark!
For more information check out The ETC website.
