Philips Vari-Lite Introduces the VL4000 BeamWash Luminaire

	Philips Vari-Lite' VL4000 BeamWash luminaire with a gobo

Philips Vari-Lite announces the VL4000 BeamWash luminaire. Sharing many of the design principles of the VL4000 Spot, the new VL4000 BeamWash combines stunning wash capabilities with intense beam functionality and the ability to produce a powerful, collimated shaft of light -- all without the need to change lenses. Using a Philips 1,200W lamp, one single fixture can now achieve multiple creative looks through its 43,000 lumens of output and optics making it what the company says is "the beast of any lighting rig."

"We are very excited about the launch of the VL4000 BeamWash luminaire," said Julie Smith, general manager of the Americas. "As the next fixture in the VL4000 range, no other luminaire comes close to its combined functionality and amazing feature set. With its incredible point-of-source imagery through a 10" front lens, VL4000 BeamWash is the perfect luminaire for wash, beam, and shaft looks on any stage."

When used in wash mode, the luminaire provides a remarkably even wash of intense light with variable hot spot/edge control. The 10- to 60-degree zoom range allows for a broad range of usage, while the indexable and rotating beam shaping alters the output from round to elliptical. The hot spot and edge of the wash output can be further adjusted with ease from any DMX lighting console.

By simply adjusting a DMX value, the VL4000 BeamWash shifts from a soft wash to an intense beam luminaire with an amazing 4- to 40-degree beam angle. A multitude of images are available from two, seven-position gobo wheels and a variable animation wheel. A high speed mechanical iris and an independent five-facet rotating step prism further add to the graphical abilities whether used to create stunning aerials or exciting projections. A unique lenticular feature allows the output to be further modified to create a rectangular hard edge or extruded gobo imagery.

The DMX selectable shaft mode allows the VL4000 BeamWash luminaire to also function as a powerful, collimated ray of light. With the full force of 43,000 lumens, the narrow output from the 10" lens creates a stunningly bright parallel shaft that makes an impact like none other. The 4-degree beam angle can be further reduced to near 0-degrees with the mechanical iris. In addition, all of the standard features such as gobos, animation wheel, prism, and color mixing function fully when utilizing shaft mode.

Whether used as a wash, beam, or shaft luminaire, the VL4000 BeamWash includes the infinity color mix system providing incredibly smooth color changes and instantaneous snaps. Two five-position fixed color wheels and variable color correction further add to the color abilities, and the luminaire also contains unbelievably smooth dimming flags which when combined with independent shutter blades deliver unmatched dimming and strobing abilities.