Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1998 - 69

Elbin Cleveland

Rainbow 8-inch Color Scroller
Many features of Ule Rainbow 8-inch Pro color scroller make it an
excellent choice for Uleatre applications, Amajor problem WiUI
any scroller for uleatre use is fan noise, Of course, a scroller
should "rock-n-roll" dUling big production numbers where U1e
noise could never be heard over Ule orchestra, but Ulen you also
want absolute quiet for UlOse tender book scenes. The 8-inch Pro
has a four speed fan (OffILowlHalfIFulI) Ulat can be controlled by
any DMX channel, a.I.Iowing you to tum Ule fan down or off from
Ule light board.
TIle fan placement and baffling also help reduce noise. The
fan blows direcuy up Ule center of Ule color string keeping Ule
media cool even when Ule luminaire is on for e:-'1ended peliods.
TIlliS, Ule maj01i~' of Ule fan noise is directed upward, away from Ule
audience. We kept a 1Kfresnel at full for an entire day and
e:-.-pelimented \\iUI vmious fan settings and color S1Iing
speeds wiuch kept ilie media cool and noise low. TIle
soulier tmit housing also stayed cool enough to handle
\\iUI bare hmlds even after being in use for hours.
TIle Rainbow Pro is capable of e:-'1remely slow,
smooUI motion scrolling via ch3.lU1el assignable motor speeds. According to ilie literature, Ule motor can
vary from 33 frames in 3.6 seconds to 1 o"3.l11e in
twenty minutes. When we tested Ule umt at very slow
speeds, Ule media appeared to move quite smooully
a.I.Iowing for luce slow scroll color changes WiUI Ule
lighting umt up.
Installation of ilie color SlJing, ahl'a} a lJicky
task, was no hm'der Ulan \\iUI oUler scroller brands.
TIle unit facing was easy to open \\iUlOut tools and UJe
eleclJ'DIues module seemed quite easy to replace. The
unit also incorporates adjustable mounting brackets
Ulat adapt Ule urnt to vaJious lunlinaire's frame sizes.
TIle color SlJing (,111 contain fi"om two to Uurty-two
colors.
TIle scroller receives its 24 volt power direcuy
o'om Ule conlJul cable \ia a proplietaJy power SlIppl}~ so
AC pO\ver cable mIlS m'C not needed. TIle power suppl}¥
DMX splineI' eml lUll up to 24 scrollers.
Due to its many programmable functions, Ule
soulier isn't quite "plug and pl1y.·' One emft sinlplyassign a ch3.l1Ilel mm1ber (0 Ule tmit 3.l1d go, but must first
master Ule menu-based user intetface. After a n1iJ1innml
ofhead so'alcl1iJlg, we \vel'C able (0 take adv3.l1tage ofall of
Ule tmir's nice feanu'CS, so it pa}S to allow Ule opel'alOr
tinle to get L'UID' WiUI Ule intelface.
When looking at Uus sy tem, one must balmlce
features against cost. TIle need to purchase Ule power
supply/conve11er could be a drawback for smaller
Uleatres Ulat \\ish to purchase a low number of
scrollers. \X~li.Ie Ule SCI'oller lIluts m'e competitively
pliced, especia.l.ly \\iUI Ulese features, Ule convel1er

plice is greater Ulan Ule cost of a single scroller. This reduces Ule
total number of scrollers a !inuted budget CaJI purchase compm'ed to a sy tem Ulat I1I11S direcuy fi"om DMX. The Rainbow 8inch Pro lists for SI,299.00 and Ule Ma\i Power Supply / DMX
Spliner lists for. 1,650.00.
Romator maintains a Web site at or contact Romator directly at:
Romator Rainbow Production AB, Sta.l.larholmsvagen 52, S124 BaJldhagen, Sweden
Phone: +468 86 99 50, Fax: +46 8 86 72 80

Assistant Professor of Lighting Design,

Reviewed by Jim Hunter,
nil'ersi~' of SoUUI Carolina

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1998