New Jersey-based Squeek Lights has expanded its inventory by adding Elation’s new PARAGON LED profile moving head, reportedly becoming one of the first rental companies in the U.S. to stock the fixture. With the acquisition, Squeek Lights currently has the largest inventory of PARAGON lights in the U.S., enhancing its capacity to deliver top-tier lighting solutions for live events.
“PARAGON really checked all the boxes for us,” said Victor Zeiser, managing partner at Squeek Lights. “We compared it to similar products and found it had unique features that others didn’t. Plus, its versatility as a multi-purpose light was very attractive. PARAGON does everything we need it to.”
Zeiser first encountered PARAGON in its prototype phase and later saw the market-ready model at the LDI tradeshow in December, where it won the ‘Best Debuting Product Award’. Seeking a versatile fixture to replace the Artiste Picasso units they have used for the past five years, Squeek Lights needed a light that could handle a wide range of applications. The PARAGON fit the bill. “The PARAGON is going to be the core of our high-performance inventory,” Zeiser added.
PARAGON, Elation’s flagship fixture series, represents the culmination of years of development and feedback from lighting designers, offering a versatile solution for a variety of production needs. Available in three models to suit different scales, every detail of PARAGON has reportedly been refined to ensure that it represents a leap forward in intelligent lighting.
“It’s an extraordinary fixture. It has a fantastic output that will suit all of our customers and includes a number of cutting-edge features. What swayed us in the end was the exchangeable lenses that allow for use as a profile, wash or beam,” said Zeiser, referencing the PARAGON’s interchangeable Profile, Fresnel Wash and PC Beam lens system that allows for multiple fixture roles in a single, adaptable design. “We surveyed our clients, and many wanted a fixture that could also serve as a front wash system for corporate events. Although many fixtures have a frost, the quality of light you get from a Fresnel lens just can’t be beat.”
Another key feature of the PARAGON is its TruTone variable CRI system, adjustable from CRI 73 to CRI 93. Not only does it offer true variable colour fidelity but it also allows the fixture to play multiple roles, such as a key light with high CRI in one scene and an effect light with high output in the next. “The variable CRI is great,” Zeiser said. “We found during our shootout that you could adjust the hue of the light with more precision than what colour mixing alone offers.”
Additional stand-out features for Zeiser include dual rotating gobo wheels, “a nice feature that not every unit we looked at had,” as well as a narrow zoom, which gives “some nice beam effects.”
The Squeek Lights team has been experimenting with the new fixtures, delving into the white LED engine and CMY colour mixing system. Zeiser commented, “On the colour wheel there is one colour chip that has four colours on it, and when you mix on top of that, you can create an infinite number of split colours, which looks like a rainbow coming through the air. It’s really quite spectacular and something I’ve never seen another fixture do.”
Another advantage of the PARAGON, and another upgrade from the Picassos, is its IP54 rating, which means they can use the lights outside on summer festivals, and on the numerous tours that play both inside and outside. “And even though it is IP rated, it’s not a bigger fixture,” Zeiser said. “That’s a nice bonus.”