Sept. 29, 2025
FUTURETECH Featuring Elation - Soft Light, Classic Vibes with the FUZE WASH 500
Chris and Lacy dive into Paul 'Arlo' Guthrie's innovative use of Elation's FUZE WASH 500 on this year's biggest tours. They discuss how this fixture blurs the line between vintage charm and cutting-edge tech, transforming concerts for artists like Finneas, Kelly Clarkson, and Nine Inch Nails. By exploring real-world examples and lighting techniques, the hosts reveal how soft field LED lighting is reinventing the live concert look.
1
00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,960
Hey everyone, welcome back to
Geezers of Gear Future Tech I'm
2
00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:25,640
Chris and Lacey's with me.
As always.
3
00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:28,640
Today's episode might hit some
nostalgia notes for both the old
4
00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:30,640
school and the modern geeks out
there.
5
00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,520
We're talking about Paul Arlo
Guthrie and his use of Elation's
6
00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,480
Fuse Wash 500.
This thing's become a bit of a
7
00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:40,280
legend, Arlo.
He's one of the best
8
00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:41,880
storytellers with light,
honestly.
9
00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,600
He says he's missed having a
real frennel lens since we
10
00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,240
shifted from tungsten to LED.
There's just something about the
11
00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,000
soft field.
You get that enveloping quality
12
00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,680
that makes a performance
instantly feel, I don't know,
13
00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,000
cinematic?
Genuinely immersive.
14
00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,320
No, I totally get that bit of
old school nostalgia.
15
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,760
And The thing is, audiences
might not name the fixture, but
16
00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:05,920
you definitely feel a difference
in the atmosphere.
17
00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,840
Spot on, and that's what makes
the Fuse Wash 500 special.
18
00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,600
Arlo uses it specifically
because it doesn't look like a
19
00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,520
bunch of LEDs mashed together.
It just feels like a single rich
20
00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:18,760
colour field like the old
Fresnels.
21
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,000
It's actually a bit wild how
text circled back to classic
22
00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:23,920
vibes, but with all the mod
cons.
23
00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:26,640
Makes you wonder what else from
the past deserves a modern
24
00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:28,640
upgrade.
All right, so let's talk
25
00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,560
specifics.
Arlo's been using the Fuse Wash
26
00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,440
500 all over the place lately.
You've got Phineas on his for
27
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,720
Crying Out Loud, tour, Kelly
Clarkson's studio sessions, and
28
00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,280
then 9 Inch Nails, which is
totally a different animal, but
29
00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,400
the core is that same soft field
magic, just totally tailored,
30
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,280
right?
Yeah, so for Phineas, Arlo used
31
00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,080
the Fuse Wash 500 on floor
stands with barn doors, which is
32
00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,160
a real nod to film and TV light
styling.
33
00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,640
Not only did it look cool and
classic, but he actually wrote
34
00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:02,480
sequences where the barn doors
moved mid song so you'd see the
35
00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,520
beam shift and evolve.
Not just a static look, but the
36
00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:07,840
light itself became part of the
stage action.
37
00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,400
It's clever as anything.
That's nuts.
38
00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:13,680
I never even thought about
moving barn doors as
39
00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,680
choreography.
Then with Kelly Clarkson's
40
00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,760
sessions, those lights were
rigged into a slotted ceiling.
41
00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,720
Yeah, they acted kind of like
down lights, which sounds
42
00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:25,600
simple, but the effect was
incredible.
43
00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,680
Yeah, that's the beauty of the
Fuse Wash 500.
44
00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,200
In Kelly's residency, there were
about 28 built into that
45
00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:36,200
overhead set and Arlo used them
for this bass soft wash, but
46
00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,720
could also punch them into beam
mode for certain songs.
47
00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,360
So it's not just a 1 trick pony.
Then with 9 Inch Nails, he
48
00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:48,000
really took it up a notch. 54
fixtures, all on carts upstage.
49
00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,760
They'd form this killer wall of
light effect, sometimes clean
50
00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,840
and architectural, other times
just totally blowing out the
51
00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:58,360
stage, almost frying the band's
faces for those more aggressive
52
00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,080
songs.
I saw a clip of that NN wall of
53
00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:05,000
light reveal and it has such a
punchy, almost brutalist vibe,
54
00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:09,200
but at the same time it can
still do that cozy or nostalgic
55
00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,760
look if you need it.
I guess that's what keeps
56
00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,200
designers coming back.
It's super adaptable.
57
00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,160
It can be subtle, or it can just
wow you with power.
58
00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,600
That's it.
Placements everything too, floor
59
00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,280
up in the air, built into scenic
pieces.
60
00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,680
Harlow's use of these in
multiple contexts shows that
61
00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,320
mood and function can go hand in
hand if you've got the right
62
00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,240
tool.
And like you said, even a high
63
00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,240
energy rehearsal can feel
cinematic if the light shapes
64
00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,640
that experience.
Well, hard to beat that.
65
00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:41,840
Let's get a bit nerdy.
This is future tech after all.
66
00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:47,640
What makes the Fuse wash 500
tick is it's 500 Watt R GB MALED
67
00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,520
engine.
That A is for amber, by the way,
68
00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,520
which gets your pastel tones and
warmer white spot on.
69
00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,920
You're not getting the old green
face under blue light problem
70
00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:58,960
here.
The color rendering index is
71
00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,640
really high, so skin tones look
natural and you've got all the
72
00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:08,000
control virtual gel library CMY
emulation color correction from
73
00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:13,400
2400 K up to 8500 K.
No more racing about with boxes
74
00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:15,280
of gels and filters between
songs.
75
00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,240
And here's where I think it gets
really interesting.
76
00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,800
You've got designers like Arlo
using LED flexibility to deliver
77
00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,880
all that nostalgia, but with
none of the headaches of old
78
00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:30,280
school fixtures, bulb swaps, hot
lenses, colour drift, the works.
79
00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:33,800
You can have barn doors,
motorized, zooms, motorized,
80
00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:38,000
everything programmable so you
can chase that classic look but
81
00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,680
also whip the tech around and do
stuff that would have been
82
00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,920
impossible before.
Honestly it gives so much more
83
00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:47,280
freedom to not just light the
band but almost direct the
84
00:04:47,280 --> 00:04:49,640
emotion of a set.
Like, do you think it's true
85
00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,680
that the right light can totally
make or break the feeling of a
86
00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:54,600
show?
Oh, I'm convinced.
87
00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,040
Sometimes it's subtle, a mood
you create in the moment.
88
00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:02,040
In other times it's dead
obvious, like the NN wall that
89
00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:05,680
goes from gentle amber glow to
blinding slap in the face.
90
00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:09,200
But either way, this tech means
designers don't have to choose
91
00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:13,160
between vintage and versatile.
They get both.
92
00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,520
We saw the same blending of old
and new on that Nathaniel
93
00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:18,320
Ratelift tour episode a while
ago.
94
00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:22,440
Classic Blinder vibe, all the
modern tricks behind the scenes.
95
00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,720
It's empowering for artists too,
they know their show can look
96
00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,360
unique but still feel familiar.
I think that's what really
97
00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:33,120
pushes the industry forward,
making things beautiful but also
98
00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:37,600
practical and adaptable.
It's wild how fast things evolve
99
00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,120
and I get the feeling the
nostalgia trend isn't going away
100
00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,360
anytime soon.
Definitely not.
101
00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:44,600
All right, that's about all the
time we've got.
102
00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,080
If you enjoyed this walk down
memory lane plus a peek into the
103
00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:50,240
future, make sure you're
following us.
104
00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,800
We're always chasing that next
legendary look and you never
105
00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,400
know what vintage classic might
get reinvented next.
106
00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,320
Laci, as always, a pleasure.
Absolute blast.
107
00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:02,040
Chris.
Thanks everyone for tuning into
108
00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:03,800
Geezers of Gear.
See you all next time.
109
00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:22,200
Make the specs so clear.
Oh, La La with music to your
110
00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:23,480
ears.
Hey, hey, yeah.
111
00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:28,760
Let's go.
New gear vibes, new tech jive
112
00:06:29,840 --> 00:06:34,240
gearheads unite.
We keep it live.
00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,960
Hey everyone, welcome back to
Geezers of Gear Future Tech I'm
2
00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:25,640
Chris and Lacey's with me.
As always.
3
00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:28,640
Today's episode might hit some
nostalgia notes for both the old
4
00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:30,640
school and the modern geeks out
there.
5
00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,520
We're talking about Paul Arlo
Guthrie and his use of Elation's
6
00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,480
Fuse Wash 500.
This thing's become a bit of a
7
00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:40,280
legend, Arlo.
He's one of the best
8
00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:41,880
storytellers with light,
honestly.
9
00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,600
He says he's missed having a
real frennel lens since we
10
00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,240
shifted from tungsten to LED.
There's just something about the
11
00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,000
soft field.
You get that enveloping quality
12
00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,680
that makes a performance
instantly feel, I don't know,
13
00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,000
cinematic?
Genuinely immersive.
14
00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,320
No, I totally get that bit of
old school nostalgia.
15
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,760
And The thing is, audiences
might not name the fixture, but
16
00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:05,920
you definitely feel a difference
in the atmosphere.
17
00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,840
Spot on, and that's what makes
the Fuse Wash 500 special.
18
00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,600
Arlo uses it specifically
because it doesn't look like a
19
00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,520
bunch of LEDs mashed together.
It just feels like a single rich
20
00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:18,760
colour field like the old
Fresnels.
21
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,000
It's actually a bit wild how
text circled back to classic
22
00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:23,920
vibes, but with all the mod
cons.
23
00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:26,640
Makes you wonder what else from
the past deserves a modern
24
00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:28,640
upgrade.
All right, so let's talk
25
00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,560
specifics.
Arlo's been using the Fuse Wash
26
00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,440
500 all over the place lately.
You've got Phineas on his for
27
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,720
Crying Out Loud, tour, Kelly
Clarkson's studio sessions, and
28
00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,280
then 9 Inch Nails, which is
totally a different animal, but
29
00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,400
the core is that same soft field
magic, just totally tailored,
30
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,280
right?
Yeah, so for Phineas, Arlo used
31
00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,080
the Fuse Wash 500 on floor
stands with barn doors, which is
32
00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,160
a real nod to film and TV light
styling.
33
00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,640
Not only did it look cool and
classic, but he actually wrote
34
00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:02,480
sequences where the barn doors
moved mid song so you'd see the
35
00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,520
beam shift and evolve.
Not just a static look, but the
36
00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:07,840
light itself became part of the
stage action.
37
00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,400
It's clever as anything.
That's nuts.
38
00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:13,680
I never even thought about
moving barn doors as
39
00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,680
choreography.
Then with Kelly Clarkson's
40
00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,760
sessions, those lights were
rigged into a slotted ceiling.
41
00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,720
Yeah, they acted kind of like
down lights, which sounds
42
00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:25,600
simple, but the effect was
incredible.
43
00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,680
Yeah, that's the beauty of the
Fuse Wash 500.
44
00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,200
In Kelly's residency, there were
about 28 built into that
45
00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:36,200
overhead set and Arlo used them
for this bass soft wash, but
46
00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,720
could also punch them into beam
mode for certain songs.
47
00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,360
So it's not just a 1 trick pony.
Then with 9 Inch Nails, he
48
00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:48,000
really took it up a notch. 54
fixtures, all on carts upstage.
49
00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,760
They'd form this killer wall of
light effect, sometimes clean
50
00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,840
and architectural, other times
just totally blowing out the
51
00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:58,360
stage, almost frying the band's
faces for those more aggressive
52
00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,080
songs.
I saw a clip of that NN wall of
53
00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:05,000
light reveal and it has such a
punchy, almost brutalist vibe,
54
00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:09,200
but at the same time it can
still do that cozy or nostalgic
55
00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,760
look if you need it.
I guess that's what keeps
56
00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,200
designers coming back.
It's super adaptable.
57
00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,160
It can be subtle, or it can just
wow you with power.
58
00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,600
That's it.
Placements everything too, floor
59
00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,280
up in the air, built into scenic
pieces.
60
00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,680
Harlow's use of these in
multiple contexts shows that
61
00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,320
mood and function can go hand in
hand if you've got the right
62
00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,240
tool.
And like you said, even a high
63
00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,240
energy rehearsal can feel
cinematic if the light shapes
64
00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,640
that experience.
Well, hard to beat that.
65
00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:41,840
Let's get a bit nerdy.
This is future tech after all.
66
00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:47,640
What makes the Fuse wash 500
tick is it's 500 Watt R GB MALED
67
00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,520
engine.
That A is for amber, by the way,
68
00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,520
which gets your pastel tones and
warmer white spot on.
69
00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,920
You're not getting the old green
face under blue light problem
70
00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:58,960
here.
The color rendering index is
71
00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,640
really high, so skin tones look
natural and you've got all the
72
00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:08,000
control virtual gel library CMY
emulation color correction from
73
00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:13,400
2400 K up to 8500 K.
No more racing about with boxes
74
00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:15,280
of gels and filters between
songs.
75
00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,240
And here's where I think it gets
really interesting.
76
00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,800
You've got designers like Arlo
using LED flexibility to deliver
77
00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,880
all that nostalgia, but with
none of the headaches of old
78
00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:30,280
school fixtures, bulb swaps, hot
lenses, colour drift, the works.
79
00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:33,800
You can have barn doors,
motorized, zooms, motorized,
80
00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:38,000
everything programmable so you
can chase that classic look but
81
00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,680
also whip the tech around and do
stuff that would have been
82
00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,920
impossible before.
Honestly it gives so much more
83
00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:47,280
freedom to not just light the
band but almost direct the
84
00:04:47,280 --> 00:04:49,640
emotion of a set.
Like, do you think it's true
85
00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,680
that the right light can totally
make or break the feeling of a
86
00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:54,600
show?
Oh, I'm convinced.
87
00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,040
Sometimes it's subtle, a mood
you create in the moment.
88
00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:02,040
In other times it's dead
obvious, like the NN wall that
89
00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:05,680
goes from gentle amber glow to
blinding slap in the face.
90
00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:09,200
But either way, this tech means
designers don't have to choose
91
00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:13,160
between vintage and versatile.
They get both.
92
00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,520
We saw the same blending of old
and new on that Nathaniel
93
00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:18,320
Ratelift tour episode a while
ago.
94
00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:22,440
Classic Blinder vibe, all the
modern tricks behind the scenes.
95
00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,720
It's empowering for artists too,
they know their show can look
96
00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,360
unique but still feel familiar.
I think that's what really
97
00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:33,120
pushes the industry forward,
making things beautiful but also
98
00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:37,600
practical and adaptable.
It's wild how fast things evolve
99
00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,120
and I get the feeling the
nostalgia trend isn't going away
100
00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,360
anytime soon.
Definitely not.
101
00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:44,600
All right, that's about all the
time we've got.
102
00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,080
If you enjoyed this walk down
memory lane plus a peek into the
103
00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:50,240
future, make sure you're
following us.
104
00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,800
We're always chasing that next
legendary look and you never
105
00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,400
know what vintage classic might
get reinvented next.
106
00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,320
Laci, as always, a pleasure.
Absolute blast.
107
00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:02,040
Chris.
Thanks everyone for tuning into
108
00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:03,800
Geezers of Gear.
See you all next time.
109
00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:22,200
Make the specs so clear.
Oh, La La with music to your
110
00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:23,480
ears.
Hey, hey, yeah.
111
00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:28,760
Let's go.
New gear vibes, new tech jive
112
00:06:29,840 --> 00:06:34,240
gearheads unite.
We keep it live.