With an increasing presence in House of Worship, Film, TV and theatre markets, PROLIGHTS has been strengthening its efforts in Research and Development to implement new, cutting-edge innovations within its color science, to ensure color consistency and advanced color control across its product lines.
Find out more by listening to this podcast!
[00:00:00] Today's Tech Tip is Spectra Calibration. Do you know what that is? I know I don't. So joining us today to talk about this is Nick and Marcus from ProLights. Hey guys.
[00:00:11] Hey, how's it going?
[00:00:12] All right, let's jump right into it. I'm not sure who wants to take this first, but Nick, Marcus, what is Spectra Calibration and how can it help me?
[00:00:21] Yeah, absolutely. So Spectra Calibration is a process that ProLights uses to help normalize and regulate all their LEDs across their lines of fixtures.
[00:00:32] So when you make LED diodes, whatever color they are, you make them in mass. They end up getting, you know, baked in an oven.
[00:00:39] If you would imagine a big tray of cookies, they all come out. Some of them are a little bit more well done than others.
[00:00:44] And so what you need to do is you need to make sure they all match.
[00:00:46] So in the Spectra Calibration process that ProLights uses, we put the, you know, the light in this like dark room, if you will.
[00:00:57] And then there's a spectrometer. We go through diode by diode and you end up finding like the deficiencies in each one.
[00:01:06] And we calibrate the software to make sure that every single light will always be the same color, regardless of any of the micro inconsistencies between the batches of LEDs.
[00:01:17] Or, you know, say you buy 100 units one year, you buy a couple more the next year, you want those to match.
[00:01:22] So what the Spectra Calibration does is it takes it down from its, you know, peak so that you have a little bit of area to kind of play with where you can add in a couple more colors and helps everything kind of meet perfectly,
[00:01:36] repeatably on like the XY color spectrum across batches of LEDs.
[00:01:41] So also helps with like the, you know, temperature fluctuation.
[00:01:45] So it actively monitors within the light.
[00:01:49] And as things start to get a little bit, you know, maybe a little bit frizzle frazzle, because as temperatures increase, LEDs can start to decay or do a little bit of other things.
[00:01:57] You kind of want them around 80 degrees Celsius.
[00:01:59] And as soon as you start to get past that, stuff can start to happen.
[00:02:03] So the Spectra Calibration also helps with the fan speed to come on to keep the LEDs at optimal temperature so that their colors stay optimal.
[00:02:10] And it finds that perfect balance so that we can get the most color spectrum, but also evenness across the range.
[00:02:18] So at the end of the day, I think what you're saying is it allows you to match all your lights.
[00:02:23] So I'm not getting one LED looking a little bit different from another LED.
[00:02:27] So, Marcus, does it allow you to match other fixtures outside?
[00:02:33] Like if I already owned a fixture that's not a ProLight's fixture, or is this just matching inside the ProLight brands?
[00:02:39] It's really matching across the different products that are available from ProLight's from one product to another, like a, say, a profile spot to a par of some type to even a moving head fixture.
[00:02:51] It's making sure that, you know, red is red and blue is blue, green is green, and it's the same across the entire line.
[00:02:57] Now, it does make it easier to be able to match something that's third party that is not a ProLight's fixture.
[00:03:02] It helps with that, and you should be able to get to where you need to be.
[00:03:05] And then, you know, whatever you're controlling with, you can save a preset and kind of match those things.
[00:03:09] But it's really inside of the ProLight's fixtures to be able to match each other and have a standardization between them.
[00:03:16] Yeah, it sounds like it would really help with color temperature.
[00:03:18] So, Nick, is this a game changer when it comes to color temperature for television and some of the, you know, massive changes that happen between, hey, I want to light my pastor and then I want to light my rock and roll band.
[00:03:33] Does the spectra calibration help with that?
[00:03:36] Oh, yeah, absolutely.
[00:03:37] Absolutely. So, you know, the white is a blending of all the colors, right?
[00:03:41] So the better calibration you can get, the more pure the white you get.
[00:03:45] And again, we calibrate it so that it can be perfect on the X, Y scale of the color spectrum.
[00:03:51] So when you bring in other fixtures, if they are third party fixtures, that's how it does kind of help match that.
[00:03:56] So even though it's done for the ProLight's line, it does kind of help you match any other third party lights that you may have.
[00:04:01] But when it comes to your whites, your broadcast whites, you know, the fact that we can get everything kind of perfectly and in tune and repeatable, right?
[00:04:11] Again, that's what we want.
[00:04:12] We want everything to be repeatable.
[00:04:13] We want that 5600 Kelvin to always be 5600 Kelvin.
[00:04:17] And so the fact that it's actively monitored and, you know, gets everything where it needs to be, it really is why we have such a good white out of our spectra calibrated fixtures.
[00:04:29] And Marcus, when I saw you put that hat on, I knew you were the rock and roll guy.
[00:04:32] So I got to ask you this question.
[00:04:34] When it comes to church rock and roll, like what fixtures would you recommend for them to use to work great with their pastor, but yet then be awesome with all the wacky colors that come out during the worship segment?
[00:04:48] Well, one of the nice things about what's offered from ProLights currently is that there are so many options to be able to do that.
[00:04:55] You have all kinds of different tools to be able to use.
[00:04:59] We offer everything from moving head fixtures to be able to do some of the, you know, the patterns and really quick movement and those kind of things for that rock and roll look.
[00:05:09] And then there's just if you need great front light or you need great color saturation, there's also options for that.
[00:05:14] So a little bit of everything's out there.
[00:05:17] There's specific fixtures.
[00:05:18] There's everything from like our profile spot, the CT Plus, which is great for front light.
[00:05:23] And there's fixtures like our new ECL PAR that is just an amazing, you know, could be a great top wash fixture or a fixture to be able to just throw color into an area that you need to.
[00:05:37] And they're all very, very fast and they're ready to go for that rock and roll show look if you need it.
[00:05:42] But they're also just a really true, like well calibrated, smooth looking fixture as well.
[00:05:49] So you've got kind of the best of both worlds with the ProLight stuff that's out there right now.
[00:05:53] And I'm a church.
[00:05:55] I've got Source 4s.
[00:05:58] I mean, do you have any options for me?
[00:06:00] Like, do you have anything that goes with my Source 4 lenses?
[00:06:04] Absolutely.
[00:06:04] So all of the profile spots that we offer through AC lighting with ProLight is compatible with Source 4 lenses.
[00:06:14] So if you have, if your church has a lot of Source 4s that are kind of an end of life and you're looking for a potential replacement of the engine of that fixture,
[00:06:23] we have a lot of options out there that are full color with very high CRI whites as well.
[00:06:30] And they've been amazing and they work well in a retrofit scenario and for a reasonable budget as well.
[00:06:38] They're very cost effective too.
[00:06:40] So last question before I ask you guys how people can get in touch with you,
[00:06:43] because it sounds like you have a lot of options here.
[00:06:47] Why would I want the Spectra calibration?
[00:06:50] You know, we've talked about a lot of good reasons,
[00:06:53] but what's like one good reason for somebody to say,
[00:06:56] hey, I need this Spectra calibration?
[00:06:59] Sure.
[00:07:00] So again, it comes down to not having to worry about what you've already bought.
[00:07:04] Number one, first and foremost, we all know with the LED industry, things come quick.
[00:07:09] And the last thing you want is an out-of-date rig.
[00:07:11] So everything moving forward with ProLights is Spectra calibrated.
[00:07:14] So you know that if you were to buy stuff a year after, two years after, it's all going to be the same.
[00:07:20] And again, it comes down to that repeatability and that being able to trust on that color.
[00:07:26] So if you were to ever look at a fixture that has not been calibrated,
[00:07:30] and then you have another one of that same fixture also not calibrated,
[00:07:34] and you turn them on and you put them at the same thing,
[00:07:36] they just won't match.
[00:07:38] You need to calibrate it.
[00:07:40] And there are other companies do their own forms of calibration.
[00:07:44] And so that's something to know and to look into if you are going to go with another vendor is,
[00:07:50] you know, what kind of calibration do they do?
[00:07:52] And make sure you check it and trust it.
[00:07:55] But at the end of the day, if I buy a light from you guys today,
[00:07:59] and I buy another light from you a year from now with Spectra calibration, they'll match.
[00:08:05] 100%.
[00:08:06] That's pretty awesome.
[00:08:07] Awesome.
[00:08:09] Nick, tell us what the best way to get in touch with ProLights is.
[00:08:13] How do I start this Spectra family journey with you guys?
[00:08:17] Yeah.
[00:08:17] So ProLights is exclusively distributed by AC Lighting here in North America.
[00:08:22] You can go to aclighting.com.
[00:08:25] We've got a bunch of different contacts.
[00:08:26] We've got all of our sales reps listed by region.
[00:08:29] So it would be really easy based on where you are.
[00:08:31] Just look up, you know, what state is color coded to which person,
[00:08:34] shoot them an email, their phone number, their email is right there.
[00:08:37] They can help you out.
[00:08:38] They can put you in touch with someone who can get you some pricing and a local dealer as well.
[00:08:42] So to get in touch with ProLights, go to aclighting.com.
[00:08:47] You can click the contact link there as well.
[00:08:49] For lighting choices that will illuminate your world, go to aclighting.com.
[00:08:55] Now, Marcus, I hear we're giving away a ProLights Data Master.
[00:09:00] And everybody who tunes into the Tech Arts podcast knows that we give away a lot of cool things.
[00:09:05] Tell us a little bit about what the Data Master is and how it can help them
[00:09:10] so that they're all itching to get their hands on this thing.
[00:09:13] Sure thing.
[00:09:14] A ProLights Data Master is really a testing tool to be able to send out or receive DMX and test your lights.
[00:09:22] Know what the DMX in your room is doing.
[00:09:25] It's also got an RDM feature built into it, so you can configure some lights if your fixtures have RDM capabilities built into them.
[00:09:32] So it's just a nice little testing tool that you can kind of keep in your kit
[00:09:35] and be able to sometimes save the day with a little tool like a Data Master.
[00:09:40] It's amazing.
[00:09:42] In the past, I've used it many times, and I'm amazed of what it does in such a small package.
[00:09:49] So it's a cool little tool.
[00:09:50] Yeah, it's a cool tool.
[00:09:51] Plus, it is free.
[00:09:52] We are giving it away.
[00:09:54] So if you go to techartspodcast.com, there'll be a link there.
[00:09:58] Just click on the link, register for the free giveaway.
[00:10:01] We'll do a drawing.
[00:10:02] We're not giving it to everyone, but we are doing a free drawing to give the Data Master away to a lucky winner.
[00:10:08] So again, go to techartspodcast.com to register for that.