A L GA - 6 0 : £ The history of moving head fixtures is a story of revolution and refinement. Coming out of the era of oil-based lighting, early moving heads were transformative. The Vari-Lite VL1, famously used by Genesis on their 1981 tour, was arguably the f irst recorded use of this technology, though it remained an expensive, high-end product reserved for touring giants. 68 We saw the technology become significantly more accessible with fixtures from Clay Paky in the late 80s, and by the time the Martin MAC 500s arrived in the 1990s, the moving head was an undeniable staple of the club lighting world.

However, tastes change. In recent years, we’ve observed a number of award-winning DJs pivoting away from the once-prevalent moving head towards scanners, LED tubes, dedicated gobo throwers, or simple wash lighting. While customers may not specifically ask for moving heads, making it seem like they aren’t missed, this shift creates a compelling opportunity. Going back to a powerful, modern moving head now offers a chance to differentiate your setup and offer a dynamic spectacle that sets you apart from those who have moved away.

The moving head fixture has recently attempted to re-invent itself for the mobile market, and the latest offering from Algam, the MSR-60, is a compelling example of that evolution. The core question is: is this enough to tempt awardwinning DJs and general mobile entertainers back to a dedicated spot fixture? Read on to find out why this specific fixture might just make the case. Before diving into the MSR-60’s performance, it’s worth understanding the company behind the product.

For many mobile DJs, Algam Lighting is not a familiar brand. However, they are far from a newcomer or a fly-by-night operation from an overseas market. Algam is a reputable French company with over 50 years of experience in the musical and professional equipment sectors. This means the MSR-60 is backed by decades of industry knowledge and stability.

Crucially, the MSR-60 isn’t even the top of their line; they offer a range of more professional and expensive lights. They also provide an entire ecosystem of event lighting, including LED effects, projectors, lasers, atmospheric effects, and DMX control accessories. For those professionals who appreciate the consistency and support of using a single brand for their entire lighting show, Algam provides a comprehensive range to choose from. The MSR-60 sits at the value end of their spot range (with the MS-60 and MS-150 above it) but, for the mobile DJ, it hits the perfect balance of price, size, and powerful output.

ALGAM LIGHTING MSR-60 In the real world of mobile events, the MSR- 60 is impressive, particularly given its compact dimensions. I recently used a pair at a birthday party where I was fortunate enough to be able to use some haze. The units were striking for their size, with the haze making it much easier to define the beams and maximise the effect across the room. The 60W cool white LED core easily projected the gobo across the entire hall.

This is a crucial practical win, as most moving heads capable of covering that much area are typically heavier, bulkier, more expensive, or all three! The MSR-60 is engineered for ease of deployment. It has a manageable weight of just 3kg and small dimensions (195 x 170 x 280 mm). This light profile means it can be safely connected to a distance or gravity pole without concern and sits well within the weight limits of most shelf units that attach to modern DJ booths.

Its housing is made of hard, good-quality plastic, giving confidence in its robustness. A major advantage is its build quality and noise level. The fan runs quietly, which, while not a typical concern during a loud gig, is a nice feature when setting up DMX profiles or using the unit for quieter background lighting. ALGAM LIGHTING MSR- Furthermore, Algam has thoughtfully addressed the storage needs of mobile entertainers by producing the MS-60 Bags specifically for this unit, allowing you to store a pair securely in a single case at a remarkably reasonable retail price.

While the MSR-60 excels at being a straightforward spot moving head, it also has a fantastic dualfunction feature up its sleeve: an integrated ring light. This is where the unit transcends its class and truly becomes versatile. Positioned around the main lens, 12 x 0.5W RGB LEDs provide a pleasant moving wash effect that projects directly into your audience. This can be used in dynamic contrast with your room’s uplighting or set to perfectly complement it.

At the Halloween party, for example, the ring light’s rich purple, contrasted with a main green wash, created a truly spooky a and engaging effect. It injected that key sense of movement that is often missing from a static, allwash setup. This secondary wash function is highly practical for sensitive moments, too. The ability to set the main light to a soft all-white spot and slow the movement right down means the MSR-60 can easily be given duties as a subtle first dance light.

69 algam lighting msr-60 Alternatively, simply using the ring light as a gentle, ambient wash would make you quite popular with wedding photographers who appreciate wellbalanced, non-intrusive light. a The optical features are well-executed. The gobo wheel includes eight non-specific, versatile shapes, ensuring the fixture is suitable for any occasion – from high-energy patterns to several looks that are perfectly suited for a wedding first dance. These include a flower stamen, bubbles/dots, over-locking 4 blocks, and a James Bond-style spiral.

The fixture delivers vibrant solid colours using a colour wheel placed in front of its cool white LED source, allowing for fast, clean changes and half-colour effects. A stand-out feature not typically seen on a unit at this level is DMX focus control (accessible on channels 8 or 10, depending on the mode). 70 This motorised focus means you can achieve a perfectly sharp gobo projection after setting the lights up, or precisely adjust the beam for lighting distant glitter ball – a huge blessing for detailoriented DJs.

The MSR-60 offers excellent control options, starting with standard Master/Slave (M/S) mode for simple synchronised operation. For those not using DMX, there are six Standard Shows (SH0–SH5), with Show offering a nice variance in being quite slow and sedate, making it an excellent setting for earlyevening background use. The Sound Mode can be toggled on or off, giving you complete control over whether the music dictates the speed of the auto-shows. However, as with any advanced fixture, controlling the MSR-60 via DMX is the path to getting the best out of it.

The unit supports both 11 and 13 channel modes. To facilitate this, the DMX profile is already available for both SoundSwitch and Wolfmix, the two most popular DMX control programs in the mobile DJ space, making integration and setup an absolute breeze. DMX control in cl ud e s th e standard Pan (540°) and Tilt (230°) functions on the early channels, but what will be a relief for those aiming at distant objects is the inclusion of fine control on a separate DMX channel, allowing for precise positioning.

In conclusion, the Algam Lighting MSR-60 performs exceptionally well for its size, offering features like the RGB ring light, DMX focus control, and fine movement channels that are usually reserved for much more expensive units. It successfully does everything the more expensive MS-60 does and more for a highly competitive price point, making it an excellent choice for mobile DJs and a genuinely viable option for those looking to bring the dynamic flair of the moving head back into their professional light show.

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