On the ETC booth, the new High End TurboRay and SolaWash 1000 High End took advantage of the London season launch to step on the launch pad, while the ETC “Augment3d” concept won a PLASA Awards for Innovation rewarding its version 3.0 release.

ETC EOS V3.0

The “Augment3d” solution allows to visualize and control natively in 3D the positions of its projectors. In addition to the encoders on its console, or a mouse for the 3D representation, the user can now use the Focus Wand application from a tablet or smartphone. This last method makes it possible to use these peripherals as a position pointer directly on stage, for an incredible gain of time.

The EOS platform dates back to 2006, powered by the legendary Anne Valentino, behind some of the biggest consoles: the Vari-Lite Virtuoso or the ETC Obsession. His previous collaborations with Kliegl, Strand, Colortran and PRG allowed her to inject a real Live soul in consoles dedicated to theaters.

The modular design of the Eos system, ready to accommodate all future functions, has stabilized with version 2.9. Unique color programming functions integrate all multi-component mixing systems, with absolute precision to color transitions through the ‘Color Path’. The ‘Query’ touch button also deserves to be mentioned, as the possibility of searching for information within a show proves to be simple and exhaustive at the same time.

After this necessary search for compatibility and optimization, the field was open for version 3, whose “Augment3d” 3D concept on all its platforms announces an incredible change in programming habits. Imports from multiple softwares, automatic calibration with 4 measurement points, ‘target mode’ taking into account the 3D elements of the integrated visualizer, 3D ‘blind’ viewing, free navigation in the virtual space, point of view per projector … are just a few advance moves made by ETC. Competition has never been so beneficial to operators today! A nice summary of these can be found on the following link here.

High End TurboRay

Already launched at the Prolight + Sound exhibition in April, the TurboRay takes advantage of the London season opening to step on the launch pad. Unique projector by the association of its retro look fins and its LED heart fed with the latest technologies, the TurboRay overlooks the stage lighting kits by its unique visual effects.
Its incredible lens, as large as a glass and silver airplane jet reactor, was originally requested by American TV studios to catch the eye in the camera axis. Apart from the effects’ wink, reinforced by the multiple reflections of its iris, the Turbo Ray is a real effects projector with tasty color blends.

The individual control of each LED, reinforced by the iridescence of the glass splats, allows to separate the colors inside the TurboRay optics.

Emphasis has been put on these famous frosted layered slats, able to rotate instantly in the optical axis to spread the beam or cause specific iridescence. Thus, from 4 RGBW Osram 60 W LED COBs, able to produce a simultaneous beam of 4 colors on a narrow axis at 3°, High End built a wide 180 mm optics equipped with 16 glossy frosted triangular ‘flakes’. These thin blades, depending on their orientation, can diffuse the luminous flux or create radial gaps to concentrate the colors.

The projection cone then widens from 8° to 24°, keeping enough punch to the 6,000 lumens beam. Apart from the RGB + W additive color mixing, the TurboRay uses a variable color temperature corrector from 2,800K to 8,000K. It also takes advantage of a wheel of dichroic colors arranged in quadrant to multiply the half and fourth tones, as well as a wheel of additional graphic animations.

Carved like a futuristic rocket launcher, High End’s latest addition is a stocky 23 kg projector, not necessarily swift or super-bright, but whose look, coming along its color generation, will certainly reach its target…
Associated with a compressed list price ca. 5,000 €, with a whole range of control protocols (DMX, ArtNet, sACN) and sophisticated control modes from 25 to 43 channels, the TurboRay is already available from production.

This very comprehensive video presents in full details the TurboRay, thanks to the smiling introduction from Konstantino Vonofakidis, Field Project Coordinator.

High End SolaWash 1000

On Plasa’s ETC booth was the official launch of the SolaWash 1000. With 480 W of white LEDs identical to those insides SolaFrame 1000, this Washlight with framing system is available in two LED engines, Ultra-Bright and High CRI.
The Ultra-Bright gives priority to power, with a solid 20,000 lumens, an excellent output of 42 lumens per Watt and a cold enough temperature color of 7,000K. The color rendering is slightly below its High CRI mate, with a CRI of 70 and a TLCI of 50.
Less beefy but much more precise, the High CRI version generates a warmer beam at 6,000K and, with 34 lumens per Watt, 16,000 lumens of luminous flux. On the other hand, its colorimetry reaches the sky with a CRI of 90 and a TLCI of 86.

The SolaWash1000 launch occurred on a very busy ETC stand

Equipped with a clear lens like the other SolaWash units, the small 1000 model is able to project a sharp cone of 12° to 55°, and then can soften its edges or completely blur its beam thanks to its two progressive double flag Frosts, a Medium and a Heavy Frost.

The result is close to the power of an HMI 1200 coupled with the softness of a Fresnel lens. The intensity curve maintains the 16-bit gradation of the SolaFrame 1000, to which the SolaWash owes a lot. It also keeps its animation macros on its LED module, as well as the Lens Defogger system to clear the mist out of its lens.

But above all it continues to offer a high-end color generation with this famous subtractive color mixing, whose color progressivity remains absolutely linear, thanks to a specific transition algorithm, an optimization of the CMY curves which is now updated on the SolaFrame 3000. This management is completed by a progressive CTO and a saturated color wheel including a TM-30 filter to boost the CRI.

No dispensable effects for this Washlight, but the presence of an iris with 16 blades and animation macros on the LED module makes it possible to kinda think outside the box. As the name suggests, a framing module can shape the beam. Each blade can cut completely through, with an individual rotation of 45° and the whole framing module rotates on 90° by itself.
With its aluminum mass, natural convection dissipation minimizes ventilation noise. The machine offers 4 levels of operation, Standard, Studio, Continuous and Studio Continuous, enough to avoid a significant derating while remaining relatively silent.

Equipped with standard DMX in & out connectors, USB, and two-port RJ45 Mini-switch, the SolaWash1000 can be seen at your local ETC distributor.

More info on the ETC Website