For several years now new models of LED stage lighting fixtures have been introduced into the world of theatre, television, and houses of worship. Everyone has heard about the great advantages of LEDs. They consume very little energy, have extremely long lamp life, and different colored clusters of LEDs can be combined to create versatile, compact color-mixing fixtures.
However, the disadvantages of this technology made moving to LEDs for stage lighting prohibitive. They were very expensive, did not have consistent color rendition, flickered at low lighting levels, were problematic with video, and were not powerful enough to compete with conventional lighting fixtures.
The latest generation of LEDs, however, has enabled manufacturers and lighting fixture designers to address many of these issues. Using state-of-the-art LED emitters, along with improved optics and software designs, LED wash fixtures are now able to compete with the power of conventional stage lighting fixtures. JB Lighting's JBLED A7 is one of the first LED fixtures we have tested that meets these challenges. The time may have finally arrived for houses of worship and theatres to seriously consider making their move to LED lighting fixtures.
JB Lighting may be an unfamiliar name to you, but they have been busy developing LED stage lighting for many years in Europe. They are now making their name quite well known in the United States with the innovative JBLED A7. We were able to test two JBLED A7s in our theatres and light lab at California State University Long Beach. We put these fixtures into a production in our small black box theatre. In this space we were able to compare the power and optics of the JBLED A7 with standard conventional incandescent fixtures.
HOW IT'S MADE–HOW IT PERFORMED
Regarding its excellent output, the JBLED A7 used 108 Luxeon LED emitters (36 red, 36 Green, and 36 Blue). The LEDs are set in small RGB clusters that create a smooth color mix throughout the visual spectrum. When all the LEDs are on at full, the JBLED A7 emits a beautiful, powerful cool white light.
Color rendition was excellent. We were able to mix to deep blues, greens, ambers, and reds with almost imperceptible chromatic inconsistencies. When zooming open the fixture we found some banding of color (especially the lighter colors), but we doubt that this would be noticeable when used in theatrical applications. My student designer, Paige Stanley, used these lights to change the color of a wall on the set of her production. She found that the color range of the JBLED A7 was very successful for this.
Regarding the color correction function (CTO), the JBLED A7 delivers an impressive range from 2,900 to 12,000 Kelvin. We found this wide range extraordinary compared to other LED wash fixtures, especially when you consider that the JBLED A7 is not designed primarily as a white light LED fixture (it offers a full range of colors). We easily matched the color temperature of our ETC Source Four PARs and Lekos, which were also used for the show.
Unlike other LED wash lights, we noticed a significant reduction in multiple colored shadows, a negative result of LED cluster designs. Of course, the further away you are from the fixture, the less noticeable the shadows are.
The JBLED A7 has an 8%-28% zoom that allows the user to control the width of the field of light from a small spot to a wide wash. This is very useful to the stage lighting designer. The fixture uses an interesting two-element zoom lens system. The front lens system is shaped as an array, individually covering each of the 108 LEDs. This array system ensures that there is an even blend of the colors, as well as eliminating unpleasant rattling noises during zooming and movement.
We found that the quality of the field of light was consistent throughout its zoom travel. We were also very pleased with the lack of ambient light emitted from this fixture. The wide head of fixture that holds the LEDs would make you believe that ambient spill light would be a problem. But this was not an issue, even in the very dark black box theater where we tested these fixtures.
STANDOUT FEATURES
One of the most impressive features of the JBLED A7 is its incredibly smooth dimming curve. For years LEDs suffered from poor dimming curves, especially at the lower end of the curve. Many fixtures would flicker as they neared their full out intensity. This obviously caused problems during slow, sensitive lighting cues. But the JBLED A7's smooth dimming beats some of the finest LED fixtures we have tested. We also found very little color shift throughout the dimming curve. These are significant technological improvements by JB Lighting.
Regarding the JBLED A7's moving light features, we tested the pan and tilt speeds, the zoom speed, and the accuracy of movement. The pan range is 450% and the tilt range is 332%. Although the rated pan and tilt speeds seem a bit slow for such a low mass fixture (3.2 and 2.3 seconds, respectively), we certainly found it fast enough for typical theatrical applications. The movement was very quiet and unobtrusive. We also found the position accuracy very precise. The fixtures always hit their marks and never required re-setting.
Another feature of the JBLED A7 is its variable speed strobe. The strobe effect was very bright and includes several multi-color strobe and clear flash effects. The fixture also has several useful color macros, including color wheel and rainbow color effects. There is also a flicker-free setting that allows the fixture to be used in television and motion picture studios. This is quite useful for worship broadcasts.
The build construction of the JBLED A7 is solid, made from sturdy materials that should stand up to the typical abuse that a theatrical fixture experiences. It is also very quiet, with its cooling fan the most prominent noise source. We had these fixtures hanging only 12 feet above the audience, and the fan noise was not noticeable at all.
So how would you use the JBLED A7 in your church? Several could be incorporated as a front or rear color wash. If you zoom them into a tight beam, they can be used as tight specials, or zoomed out they could color a cyc. As they can pan and tilt, as well as zoom in and out and change colors, they are essentially moving lights. Other than projecting gobos or shuttering to shapes, the JBLED A7 could replace almost every stage lighting fixture in your church.
Will the JBLED A7 be the right choice for your house of worship? I highly recommend a test drive. You may just realize that the time has come to watch your energy bills lower while adding more versatility to your worship lighting.
