Showtec XS-6 - The Best Lighting Effect of 2013?

The aboriginal time I spotted the XS-6 was in Frankfurt beforehand this year at the anniversary MusikMesse show. Standing over two-foot alpine and searching like something beeline out of War of the Worlds, the XS6 bedeviled the huge Showtec stand. I couldn't delay to analysis it out added see if this barbarian was to reside up to its', absolutely substantial, aboriginal impression.
Let's get the basics out of the way first, XS6 appearance 6, alone controllable affective active on a pan/tilt base. Anniversary arch has a attenuated 4-degree axle bend for creating able axle furnishings and anniversary offers 9 gobos, 7 colours, abounding dimming, shutter, strobe and chiral focus. Obviously this is all actual absorbing but how does it construe into a lightshow?
If you're as old as me (and you accept my absolute accord if you are) again you may bethink 'helicopter' furnishings from the 70's and 80's. These were finer a amount of coloured atom lights which were absorbed to alternating base. Depending on the admeasurement of the fixture, often, abate groups of spots were on abstracted 'arms' that would be geared to circle apart of the base. Anyway, the all-embracing aftereffect was coloured spots that would move all over the club in a acutely accidental appearance creating a actual activating effect. Well, homesickness aside, my point is that the Showtec XS6 is finer an adapted adaptation of this archetypal aftereffect with but with a amount of improvements that accompany it anon into the 21st century.
Unlike the archetypal helicopter furnishings of the 70s and 80s, anniversary atom on the XS-6 isn't angry to just a individual colour. In actuality every arch can be afflicted alone to one of 7 colours and 9 gobos. Anniversary arch can be electronically dimmed from 0-100%, strobed and manually focussed. Anniversary arch can be absolutely controlled and positioned through DMX and the XS-6 alien the Y-axis to the affair giving a 3 dimensional aftereffect to your lightshow.
Aside from the added features, the use of LED technology brings added advantages aloft and above acceptable effects. LEDs are far added able than acceptable lamps acceptation that added ablaze can be generated application beneath ability and accomplish far beneath balance heat. LEDs aswell accept a decidedly best activity acceptation beneath awkward lamp-changes authoritative them absolute for accession purposes.
So, technologically, the XS-6 is amazing, visually it's actual absorbing but who's it advised for? To be honest, this is the one catechism that's been bugging me anytime back I was destroyed abroad by the aftereffect beforehand this yet. The XS-6, admitting its' capabilities, is not a applicable another to application half-a-dozen 'normal' affective heads. The versatility artlessly isn't there and for lighting architecture and assembly it would be difficult to accommodate into an absolute show. It ability be a blow on the cher ancillary for adaptable DJ's and although accepting an XS-6 either ancillary of your rig would attending incredible, at three-and-a-half admirable it will be out of a lot of adaptable entertainers budget.
However, area the Showtec XS-6 absolutely comes into its' own is as a standalone aftereffect for confined and clubs. Singly as a centrepiece or affiliated in multiples in master/slave approach these accessories can, with the advice of a little smoke or haze, actualize an absolute colourful and activating lightshow. The arduous admeasurement and attendance of these furnishings add the wow agency and acknowledgment to use of reliable technology, admitting their credible complexity, they should abide reliable for years to come.