: £1479..AMERICANDJ.EU As a brand, ADJ is well-established across the globe for its wide range of lighting solutions for the mobile entertainment, event production and installation markets – from the Pocket Pro to the Vizi Series and everything in between. The Focus Spot range of moving heads, in particular, has been a hit in the UK since it was released back in 2016 and has continued to evolve over the past four years with a number of new products, the latest of which is known as the Focus Spot 6Z.

80 80 sponsored by Combining a powerful LED light source with an expansive collection of features, the Focus Spot 6Z is a serious moving head spot fixture. While it may be too big for smaller DJ setups, it is ideal for larger DJ rigs as well as for DJs who also undertake some production work (or would like to move their businesses in that direction in the near future). Getting straight into the box, the first thing that caught my eye was the use of the new style locking power connections, which are designed to be safely connected under load, for both input and output.

Many high-end brands in sound, lighting and AV are gradually phasing out the use of the standard locking connections in favour of this new design and events companies are following suit, so it is great to see ADJ pushing these as a flagship connection. In addition to a change of power connection, the 6Z also integrates ArtNet and sACN input and passthrough options to take in signal through the integrated RJ45 etherCON ports along with the standard 3-pin and 5-pin DMX connections, which broadens your control options.

This is also a feature mostly found on higher-end products aimed at the touring/rental market, where these methods of control are more likely to be utilised for sending signals over networks for larger rigs. These newer control protocols make sense here because of the high channel count of the fixture, regardless of which of the three available DMX channel modes you choose: Basic (21 channels), Standard (25 channels) or Extended (29 channels). On the front, a large colour LCD screen is utilised for displaying system information and providing an intuitive menu interface for setup and addressing.

To access the menu, simply hit the ‘MODE’ button and use the ‘UP’, ‘DOWN’, ‘LEFT’, ‘RIGHT’ and ‘ENTER’ buttons to navigate. The menu is comprehensive, allowing selection and configuration of everything from DMX and built-in programs to fixture testing and firmware information. Also found on the front of the unit is a USB socket labelled ‘SERVICE PORT’. This is what enables you to update the 6Z’s firmware, should there be a future update.

One great feature of this fixture is that you can power up the menu through an on-board battery by holding down the ‘MODE’ button on the front of the unit which brings the colour LCD display to life even if power isn’t connected. This means that you can set ADJ FOCUS SPOT 6Z your DMX address, network control fixtures I’ve protocol, channel mode and check from the front fixture information at home before of the yoke, a gig or on-site before mounting knock accidentally. it onto your rig.

This is especially the 6Z builds handy for overhead truss rigs as side of the you can prepare the fixture on the it discreet, it ground before it is out of reach switch from without needing to run a separate attention to power source on the ground. It by the R&D is worth noting that the battery very impressive power supply will only power up the menu and not the complete Now let’s take fixture as it is only designed for of the fixture. preparing/programming and not white) are testing/running. independent wheels includes Looking at more of the physical (CTO and CTB) attributes of this fixture, both pan which makes and tilt yokes can be locked into moving head. position quickly and easily with the combine colours, low-profile locking levers.

These wheel, to create are very handy to keep the fixture options (although, still during transportation, rigging which filters and even servicing. Some other seriously reduce STAYING ADJ FOCUS MOBILE SPOT 6Z ADJ Focus Spot 6Z used have the tilt lock There are also two separate through to the back rotating GOBO wheels inside, which makes it easy to each with seven patterns (plus Fortunately, open) to give you 14 different the switch into the GOBOs in total.

Each of the yoke so not only is GOBOs can be rotated in either also prevents the direction at various speeds and being knocked. The the fixture also offers indexed these smaller details rotation for precise positioning. department at ADJ is All of the GOBOs are replaceable, on this fixture. at c u s to m patterns can be swapped in if a look at the inside required. It’s worth noting that 14 colours (plus GOBOs from each wheel can be available across two overlaid and, when the focus is wheels.

One of these switched from one wheel to the colour correction other, a ‘morphing’ effect can be as well as UV filters, created. In total, 189 different this a very flexible effects can be generated by It is also possible to combining the two GOBO wheels one from each and adding one of the built-in even more colour prisms, allowing for the creation depending on of some stunning mid-air beam you select, this can patterns and surface projections. the output).

THE EARLY DAYS ocus Spot 6Z On the topic of prisms, the 6Z Completing the is loaded with a rotating 6-facet of internal beam-shaping circular prism and a rotating have the variable 5-facet linear prism. These cannot have included not be overlaid but can be switched filters in this fixture, quickly and are also indexable, reason. The first allowing them to be held in frost and gives a wider a specific position, which is a works best on the particularly handy feature for the allowing the fixture linear prism! stage wash if required. filter is a lighter frost The fixture offers a motorised a slightly blurred zoom range of between 9 and ideal for use with 28-degrees, which is impressive for effects. a spot fixture and allows for the creation of both tight aerial effects The Focus Spot series and wide surface projections. well known for To find a wider zoom range pack a punch whilst on a moving head with similar a compact form functionality, you would need to comparison to look for a hybrid fixture which on the market.

This tend to have significantly higher been a contributing price tags and are often too big to success of the series justify for mobile entertainment. continues this As with all of the fixtures in the housing a potent series, the Focus Spot 6Z also LED engine and a offers motorised focus, allowing set of features, it GOBO projections to be kept sharp tall and weighs in at varying distances of projection. In addition, the 6Z model also Having fired up my boasts a motorised iris, which is colours built-in to another pro-level feature. caught my eye as I 82 82 fixture’s collection the options offered by both wheels. tools we The colours appear more saturated frost filters.

ADJ in comparison to previous models one, but two in the series. This is especially and for good noticeable on the reds, yellows, filter is a heavy blues and even the ultraviolet, wash which which all have an even better open GOBO, effect through the wide frost filter. to serve as a Speaking of UV, given the saturation The second of the other colour filters it would be and creates a crime not to mention the depth edge, making it of the UV filter when compared to GOBO and prism similar lighting fixtures, those of which appear a little more unnatural when compared against the Focus has become Spot 6Z.

The speed range of colour fixtures that changes is also very impressive maintaining while using the ‘colour scroll’ factor in feature. The motors do not stutter equivalent fixtures on extremely low speeds but also has always handle maximum scrolling speeds factor to the with ease. and the 6Z tradition. Despite Both GOBO wheels come pre- 300W cool white loaded with a selection of metal comprehensive patterns (with one glass GOBO stands at 56cm included on wheel 2), which just under 20kg! are very finely cut to make the resulting effects crisp and sharp test unit, the when in focus.

As previously the fixture really mentioned, you can overlay flicked through the GOBO wheels for a ‘GOBO ADJ FOCUS SPOT 6Z morphing’ effect. Both wheels 16-bit control can also rotate in different steps between directions at different speeds lowest value in simultaneously, which allows just 256 steps for the creation of some pretty This is how impressive effects. As with the movement colour wheels, the motors can smoother in easily cope with smooth GOBO rotation at low speeds, which to Having used me is perfect for creating subtle and Focus lighting looks to accompany past, I have background music. how far the has progressed The focus/zoom assembly is years.

A few considerably faster than on previous generations, making zoom and focus points easier and quicker to adjust. It also gives you opportunities to create very nice zoom chases thanks to the variable speed motor. Another nifty design feature is how the configuration of the LED engine combined with the high-quality optics produces a sharp projection with no hotspots. This is what happens when certain parts of the projection are brighter than others which can be caused by lower quality optic assemblies or uneven coverage from LED engines.

Higher quality optics and focus assemblies also help combat soft edges on certain GOBOs, which I can safely say will not be an issue on the 6Z. Standard and Extended DMX channel modes enable 16-bit pan and tilt control to allow finer pan and tilt movement control. This makes slower movements smoother and positioning more accurate. 16-bit control also applies to the dimmer in the Extended channel mode, allowing for nice smooth slow fades in and out.

This is achieved by adding more dimming ‘steps’ via a separate ‘fine’ adjustment channel. A standard 8-bit DMX channel offers values ranging from 0 to 255 (256 steps in total). By adding a second channel, each of those steps then has another 256 steps between them. That means STAYING ADJ FOCUS MOBILE SPOT 6Z ADJ Focus Spot 6Z gives you 65,536 have seen on comparable fixtures the highest and from other manufacturers have all total compared to been properly thought out by the using 8-bit control.

ADJ R&D team on this model and 16-bit control makes to say the 6Z is an amazing spot and dimming much fixture is a huge understatement! modern fixtures. Every aspect of the 6Z has been carefully considered with the the Focus Spot Two mobile entertainment and smaller Spot Three Z in the event production companies in been blown away by mind to produce what I can only Focus Spot series describe as the ideal spot moving in the past four head for those looking to take design quirks that I their lighting rig to the next level.

THE EARLY DAYS 83