Even when we’re not at shows, we still regularly find ourselves in dark rooms staring at lights comparing their features (we do occasionally get out, don’t worry).
When it comes to spot and profile fixtures, it feels like there’s a new light every few minutes, so when the team at Sound Technology insisted on showing us Martin’s new fixture, we were mainly being polite when we said yes.
Fast forward a couple of months, and we’ve decided to stock exactly what they showed us and have made the Viper XIP our primary spot/profile fixture.
Why have we done it?
There’s certainly no shortage of options for LED profiles, but after a lot of robust testing against other units, the Viper XIP stood out as the grown-up and refined choice against what has increasingly felt like less considered and premature alternatives.
“The grown-up and refined choice”.
Add that it carries one of the most recognisable and reliable names and brands in the industry, the great experience we’ve had with the Aura XIP, it’s IP rating, and the fact it has things like handles in sensible places – we were increasingly convinced it was a winning fixture that will stand the test of time.
What our design team think
“Profiles remain a vital workhorse and part of nearly every lighting rig we use, and the Viper XIP ticks off all the core components that we need: a flat field, superb colours, a good gobo selection for both texture and aerial effects, and, unsurprisingly – it’s bloody bright.
We’re reliably told there’s some clever wizardry with some “light recycling” – we have no idea how that works, but it somehow means you lose far less intensity than other units when you’ve got gobos in.
We love being able to spec a consistent and punchy spot that is as strong on a front truss lighting a band as it is sat on the floor upstage providing aerial effects, and has a smooth dimming curve for subtle and refined looks whilst still capable of delivering what we need when programming quick and intensive effects.”
What our production team have to say
Our production team might be less concerned with the sheer quality of light that comes out the front of the unit than our designers are, but they care far more about the physical attributes of the fixture.
“Having to clean and thoroughly test every light that returns to us after every hire puts serviceability and reliability high on the priority list, and being able to test and clean the units quickly helps with our internal warehouse operations.
We’ve always had exceptional experience with Martin’s products, and on the rare occasions where we have had to make repairs, they’ve been easy to service.”
Keep your eyes peeled for some exciting projects coming up featuring these new fixtures.
For our full kit list and to receive future equipment updates, head over to our rental page and fill in the quick form.
