Heralded as the A61 Project prior to the show, Ayrton revealed a totally new technology that combines the first 94mm diameter narrow beam angle collimator with the latest generation high-power (40W or 60W) Osram multichip LED. Together these two elements create tighter beams with "an unrivalled centre beam intensity" that Ayrton has incorporated into three new Creative Solutions fixtures: MagicDot-R, CosmoPix-R and VersaPix-RS.
The latest member of the RADICAL series, MagicDot-R is the first professional moving head LED luminaire with a single optical collimator. The new high-efficiency 94mm diameter optical system required more than two years of development and perfection.
Lighting designer, Laurent Chapot, comments, 'MagicDot-R is a very small projector that can fit in anywhere on a small stage, around a drumset, for example, or in a TV studio to fill in the holes."
CosmoPix-R is an entirely new luminaire based on the concept of the PAR36 double-rotation spheres that date back to the early '80s. Using the latest technology, Ayrton has revamped this product design, and endowed it with a continuous combination of potential effects.
VersaPix-RS puts Ayrton's new 94mm diameter optics in combination with a 4mm2 40W RGBW multichip to produce five 3.5° beams (the narrowest in Ayrton's portfolio) with a record-breaking central beam intensity of 200 candela per lumen.
The inspiration behind Ayrton's original innovative DreamPanel Series has been developed and extended to two exciting new moving head fixtures - DreamPanel-Shift and DreamPanel-Twin.
Ayrton's DreamPanelHD-Box control system has been specially developed to drive the video panels in HDMI. The controller manages the image, the positioning of the panels, and the rotation between the media server layer, which generates the signal, and the display layer. It also resizes and positions the media in real-time in a matrix of video panels regardless of their orientation.
Finally, Ayrton's Automated Luminaires range has been expanded to encompass the NandoSpot-SC and WildSun-K25.
NandoSpot-SC is Ayrton's first, much-anticipated, LED spot luminaire which, built around an Ayrton LED module, required over three years of development and fine-tuning.
Designed as a replacement for conventional 4000W HMI Fresnel projectors, WildSun-K25 is a new-generation moving head luminaire. Working in collaboration with cinematographers and operators specialized in video production for major sporting events, Ayrton dedicated over two years to the development and perfection of this product. WildSun-K25 is the only LED luminaire capable of measuring up to the classic 4000W HMI Fresnel in terms of pure output, yet consumes only 2600W of power.
Many of Ayrton's new products were presented on its Prolight + Sound stand in a spectacular Light Show designed by top French lighting designer, Laurent Chapot. "The Light Show this year was a big success," states Ayrton's Valère Huart. "We were required to play it almost continuously in order to satisfy the crowd waiting for it in front of the booth."
The popularity of Ayrton's stand was, once again, very evident. "We had an extremely busy show and enjoyed four fantastic days in Frankfurt," continues Huart. "Innovation is our DNA and the essence of our business at Ayrton."
(Jim Evans)