The punchy and dynamic SL NITRO 510s, which offer an output of 68,000 lumens and six programmable zones, facilitates a multitude of looks. Gearhouse recently invested in 140x SL NITRO 510 units and immediately supplied them to the Johannesburg International Motor Show where they were used to light Tata trucks and buses on the Tata commercial vehicles stand.
"The SL NITRO 510 is an innovative unit in that offers all the functionality of a strobe, but can also be used as a static white wash," says Gearhouse's lighting operations manager, Stuart Andrews. "It also has programming facilities that allows us to create some stunning visual effects. The unit reduces power consumption and can save a small fortune on lamps. It also has more features than a standard strobe so has potential for a number of purposes, from lighting trucks on an exhibition stand, to international concerts or as pixel mapping effects units for special events and shows.
"This is exactly the kind of innovation, in terms of product, that we at Gearhouse SA look for. On the Tata stand, the SL NITRO 510s were so bright we had to run them at 60%! They performed flawlessly and made the vehicles look as if they were glowing internally."
"The SL NITRO 510 features an array of over 1300 tightly packed, high power LEDs that ensure maximum output and full-field, even distribution across 1200," adds Duncan Riley, managing director of Philips Entertainment product distributor in South Africa - DWR Distribution. "Their rugged construction makes them ideal for touring or outdoor situations. And, Showline's standard LCD menu system along with the continuous-on operation and lower power consumption make the SL NITRO 510 very simple to programme. In addition, the easy to use quick-connect systems allows SL NITRO 510 units to connect together top-to-bottom and side-by-side."
Gearhouse also supplied SL NITRO 510s to South Africa's popular televised reality dance competition So You Think You Can Dance.
"This was a big night in South African television. The finale of the show was a big deal for our client - production company Rapid Blue," continues Andrews. "Our in-house LD, Robert Grobler, wanted to use something with a real kick, so we added the SL NITRO 510s as effects strobes alongside other fixtures. I expect live events to be the SL NITRO 510's forte - without a doubt the compact size belies their stunning output - they are blindingly bright."
Around the same time MGG Productions, which also supplies lighting to events and productions across South Africa, invested in a number of Showline's NITRO 510s and supplied them to the live music concerts - Afrikaans is Groot. The popular concerts attract some of the biggest names in African music, and played to sell-out audiences in Pretoria and Cape Town in 2013.
"The Afrikaans is Groot production team asked for an additional 'stab' lighting effect, and I knew the SL NITRO 510s would offer just that," says MGG's Mark Gaylard. "They worked very well for the live show and looked especially great on TV. The SL NITRO 510s are easy to rig with some very nice solid rigging hardware included, either flown or on the floor."
Gaylard discovered the SL NITRO 510s on the Philips stand at Frankfurt and immediately ordered a batch from DWR Distribution.
(Jim Evans)
