A drop in Iris

[eamon]

HI all

 

I am looking for for what I feel is an oddity.

 

I am looking to get a drop in iris to fit a S4 or similiar style profile. The catch is that for the purposes of this production I want/need to be able to control the size of the beam as per a standard iris. It being motorised means that I would like to control this via DMX. This so suspiciously sounds like a moving light....... but let us try!

I have checked with Stage Elecs & White light to no avail.

 

I am looking to hire and not buy.

 

I do not want to (yet) use a mover due to location, desk and the usual budget cost efficiency.

 

I appreciate the motorised iris is more a feature of a spot head but I am wondering if it is possible. I am sure it is but where do they be??

 

I am based in Dublin.

 

 

many thanks

 

 

eamon

[J Pearce]

It wouldn't be too hard to build one, but I don't know of any commercially available solutions.

 

I think this may have come up on BR before, so have a good search around the place.

[Tomo]

City Theatrical do a DMX iris for Source 4

 

I've no idea who would have one in hire stock - I'm surprised that SLX and Whitelight don't have one.

 

Alternatively, City Theatrical do the Autoyoke, or there is the S4 Revolution.

I know Whitelight have both, SLX probably do as well.

[RumbleO]

Check with Viking Stage Lighting (vikingstagelighting.co.uk) in Norwich.

Worth giving them a call. They have always come up with what we needed in gobo rotators and DMX shutters (for a scene projector that didn't shut off.)

 

Although I confess we have never had a DMX iris.

 

Owen R

[3guk]

If you don't need it to be DMX, I am sure something could be fashioned, possibly with a servo, to remotely close and open the iris, it should also give you a decent amount of control.

 

Wether it costs less or is less effort to hire is beyond me.

 

Can anyone tell I am feeling creative today ?

[andy_s]

I've certainly used motorised Irises ("Irii"???) in Sil 30s hired from Whitelight, but this was quite a while ago, long before moving lights were so readily available or even remotely affordable for your average middle-scale theatre show, so maybe no-one sees the need for them now. (don't recall them being DMX either, but it was a long time ago)

 

do you need to see the size change? if it was just two different apertures, with a "move when dark" type effect, could you use a yo-yo with gobos with different sized holes?

[eamon]

Many thanks for the suggestions and help.

 

 

The reason for the want of a DMXable & motorised Iris is due to the touring nature of the show. It was orginally done with a VL 1000...! Not asking a lot. It is a short piece with the expansion & contraction of a beam of light for approx 1min.

 

The show control is being (at the moment) ideally being done through MIDI over a 3hr period to an ETC 48/96. Hence the DMX part of the equation. Please note I have yet to work this out.

 

Even if the Iris was analogue-received power from a dimmer, I could make this work.

 

This is a shot in the dark. I have never seen a motorised iris & scepctically in this age of moving heads am not holding out much hope..

 

I will try out the places mentioned.

 

cheers

 

eamon

[peternewman]

If you are looking at building, the ADB Warp may be a good bet, as it's controlled by rings so would probably be easier to bodge a motor onto than the motion of a traditional iris. Note that this is all conjecture I've not tried this or looked at the lantern in detail, but it could work and may well at least be something worth looking into. Otherwise a motor and bits of string...

[Sarah Q]

I'm just wondering whether you could do this in a much simpler way..... Rig two generic profiles as close together as possible, one focussed to the smaller size you require and the other to the larger..... then run an effect through the desk that brings the levels of the lantern up and down....

 

Just a thought.... it was a very late night last night, so there is probably a flaw in my plan somewhere at this time in the morning.....

[David Lee]

Even if the Iris was analogue-received power from a dimmer, I could make this work.

 

This is a shot in the dark. I have never seen a motorised iris & scepctically in this age of moving heads am not holding out much hope..

 

I remember the Mr Bean tour (many years ago) had one. I think it was controlled of analogue (poss +10v from a Dmux?) and in a Sil. Unfortunately not much help to you. As you say, these days with cheap moving lights they probably don't exist any more.

[Jivemaster]

There is an Iris maker as a PLASA member (plasa.org) try ringing the office and see if they can put you in touch.

[Smiley]

Would it not be possible for you to use a scanner that incorporates a DMX iris? I sure this could be hired cheaper than a moving head as most are a little older & they are smaller for rigging.