Lighting large-scale productions from any distance, in any weather

Do I really need an IP65 outdoor-rated moving head fixture?

Outdoor-rated moving head lights are great to use in production systems and larger installations. Alternatively, you can use shields and other weather protection approaches with moving head lights in outdoor applications, but they increase complexity compared to a fixture’s native weather proofing capabilities.

Some rental companies also believe outdoor-rated fixtures minimize maintenance, because the weatherized sealing protects against haze residue from stage effects, in addition to weather. Large production rental companies have even expressed a strong desire to only invest in outdoor-rated fixtures.

What about compromises?

Unfortunately, using IP65-rated fixtures has traditionally come with a trade off - significantly higher size-to-weight ratios compared to equivalent non-IP-rated fixtures. This presents challenges in fixture mounting and suspension. The added weight causes the rig to move more during calibration - swinging for long periods of time, risking damage to other fixtures, and impacting cue positions. The additional weight can also increase your transportation costs for the tour.

Productions need an IP-rated moving light that offers environmental and maintenance advantages, with a size-to-weight ratio closer to equivalent-output non-IP fixtures. You want fixtures that can reduce the tension in the suspension of large format fixtures - particularly ‘swing-after-startup.’

Can I get one workhorse that does it all?

Meet the Vari-Lite VL3600 PROFILE IP: ulta light, ultra bright, IP rated.

Well suited for touring production, TV productions, stadiums and arenas, large houses of worship, and large theatres, the Vari-Lite VL3600 PROFILE IP is our new large-scale, high output production profile fixture designed to withstand inclement weather, without compromising weight and size. The VL3600 PROFILE IP uses advancements in mechanical design to ensure that even with an IP65 weatherproof rating, the weight and size remain closer an IP20 (non-weatherproof) fixture.

A true lighting designer’s paintbrush with a 1000W monochromatic light engine producing 85,000 source lumens, the VL3600’s huge output power is ready to light the show from any distance in any weather. A dedicated color wheel loaded CRI boost and color correction filters ensure colors render beautifully on stage or on camera. Thanks to a CMY+CTO color wheel mixing system, the fixture produces a wide range of rich colors while eliminating the appearance of blades in the lens, improving direct view applications.

The VL3600 PROFILE IP offers the widest set of tools to create the most amazing effects on the largest of shows, with applications that range from a high CRI key light to a projection effect system. The fixture includes the exclusive VL*FX animation wheel, as well as fixed and indexing/rotating gobo wheels, a dual prism, dual frost, 4-blade continuous wipe framing system, 16 leaf variable iris, 5.5° to 50° zoom, and 16-bit focus.

Express yourself with the Vari-Lite VL3600 > check it out.