FutureTech Featuring Elation - Elation PARAGON LT Changing the Game

0:19 All right, welcome back everyone to another Geezers of Gear future tech Chris here as always joined by Lacey. Today we are diving right into the new hotness from Elation, the Paragon Lt. I'll be honest, Laci, it's been a while since I've seen this much genuine excitement bubbling up over a fixture that calls itself Long Throw. I mean seriously Chris, every other week there's some new LED on the block. The numbers on the Paragon Lt. are like not normal 1300 Watt LED engine up to 52,000 lumens. That's bonkers. And it's IP 54 rated, which I do get excited about because if there's one constant in live events, it's someone leaving stuff outside in the rain.

1:03 Oh you're not wrong there. Show must go on right? That IP 54 rating means the Lt. is actually dust and splash resistant, so you can run this indoors or outside without losing any sleep. I actually had, OK quick story, a massive stadium gig last autumn and of course the heavens opened mid show. We were scrambling, worried some of the kit would pack it in, but anything with real weatherproofing it just keeps ticking. Gear that can handle moisture and those miserable dusty festival fields? Absolute lifesaver. And it helps when the fixture isn't just tough, but also clever. The True Tone variable CRI thing makes sense to me. So you can dial it in from CRI 70 up to 93 depending on, you know, the camera or the look you want. Exactly.

1:52 Variable CRI is fantastic because you're not locked into one setting. Sometimes you want every bit of brightness, sometimes you want accurate colour for broadcast or a corporate. The turbo mode's a bit cheeky too, giving you up to 20% more output. Like if you want Let's Melt faces mode for that big walk in look, you've actually got it. And Ultra dimming running at 25,000 Hertz means it dims smooth as butter and no weird flicker for cameras or phones. OK, I'm not the expert, but zoom from 3.7 to 48, that's a crazy range, right? So it's not just your typical spotlight, it can do those punchy beams or like really fill out a wash. Spot on, and that 200mm in his front lens means you get real presence, big look, not just a pin spot across the arena.

2:39 It's sort of a Swiss Army knife for the big gigs. One day you need a razor beam slicing through haze, the next a super soft wash for a sensitive show. For anyone doing stadium shows or even those mad outdoor installs, yeah, this is a tool you want in your box. So not just muscle, but brains too. Love it. All right, let's get into why it's got everyone talking awards lately. So, Chris, this thing isn't just a workhorse. The Paragon series has been sweeping trophies, Best of viewing product at LDI 2024 and then ABTT Lighting product of the year. Like when was the last time you saw a fixture get both? Yeah, the ABT, especially judged by actual working theatre folks, not just a bunch of marketers.

3:22 That's huge. They said it's a leap forward, not just in output, but in serviceability and lens swapping, flexibility. You're not buying 3 versions for different gigs. Just pull the lens apart, fit what you need, you're off. I know LDI, the buzz wasn't just from the lights. People were animated about how you could get access for cleaning swaps, all that jazz. This is definitely a fixture made by people who actually listen to designers, not just the engineers. And the fact it won at both a tech innovation show and with old school theater practitioners really tells you it landed with both crowds. Let's talk about those creative tools, because even if the show's outside in the rain, you still want magic. So here's where I start needing you to slow down for me, the FX package on the Paragon Lt.

4:06 It's wild. 3 gobo wheels, full animation, dual overlapping prisms, dual frost, high speed iris, and then some sort of indexable framing and it runs quiet for those noise sensitive like theatrical situations. I don't think I've even seen half this stuff done in one light before. You and half the industry Laci. Let's break it down. So you've got 3 gobo wheels. That's two rotating, one fixed. You can throw in crisp logos, breakup patterns, all without going dark for a swap. Plus that animation wheels fully indexable so you get fire, water * field, whatever textures you like dialed in smoothly. The prisms and dual frost let you layer effects, hard beam, wide breakup, nice soft washes all on the fly. Add in that high speed iris and indexable full blackout framing and whatever beam shape you dream up, you can do it. Even shut off spill for camera shots or architecture. Wow.

5:07 And the colour part, that's not just your basic CMY, right? There's this Spectra colour thing and I think variable CTO. Right, so you get ultra fast and importantly quiet CMY mixing plus variable linear CTO for smooth colour temp changes. But the real trick is with Spectra colour, an optional RGB array on top of CNY. So you get both the Super saturated Reds and Blues for those neon looks and gentle pastels for proper theatre or broadcast. You don't have to swap fixtures for different events. A big theme in pro lighting now, as we've talked about before. And I hear designers talking about challenges on those giant football halftime shows or broadcasts like the whole camera flicker problem or lights not looking the same on screen as in person. Does the variable CRI in the Paragon Lt. solve for that? It absolutely helps.

5:58 You can bump up CRI for beauty shots so colors pop and skin looks real, or pull back for Max output if you're lighting ADJ. For example, the ultra dimming at 25 pile how it's means whether it's a phone, TV, camera or granddad with his old camcorder, you're not getting nasty rolling bands or flicker. I've had shows where a single flicker can kill a broadcast cut. Sometimes designers are terrified of going below a certain dim level, but with this you don't have to worry. Also side note, the remote controllable theatre mode drops the fixture noise even lower. Could have used that a few times back in my musical days, let me tell you. And the lens swap, you can just pop in a different lens and what?

6:40 It's a wash, then a profile, then a beam. Who comes up with this stuff? It's almost like Elation heard everyone moaning about hauling six types of kit to a gig and finally did something about it. Pretty much, and with how big some of these shows are getting, not even just stadium concerts, but immersive installs, arc attainment stuff, TV, the more flexible the better. It's just less to haul, less to break, more time to focus on the art. All right, that is a wrap, at least for today. I think we pulled back the curtain pretty far on the Paragon Lt. and why it's making so many waves. Any last words, Chris? Just that it's refreshing to see gear that's both clever and tough.

7:21 Gig tested, designer approved. I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more of Paragon at the next round of shows. Thanks for vibing with us, Laci. You bet, and thanks to everyone listening. Keep those questions coming. We love hearing from you. We'll catch you next time on Geezers of Gear Future Tech Be safe on the gig, Chris. Take care Lacey. Goodbye everyone. Future tech is here. Come on man, you make the spec so clear. Oh La La with music to your ears. Hey, hey.

8:02 Yeah, let's go. New gear vibes, new tech jive.