“Vipers are awesome!” declared Michael Farrand of MJF Lighting in New Zealand when asked about his recent purchase of 24 x Martin MAC Viper Wash DX. “We also purchased another dozen MAC Viper Profiles and six MAC Viper Performances so we now have nearly ninety MAC Vipers in our warehouse.”
The MAC Viper family introduces new patented technologies and a cutting-edge, 1000-watt HID source that is both blindingly bright and economically efficient. The MAC Viper Wash DX features a unique internal barndoor system (shutters) that enables designers to shape and control light projection onto stages, performers, scenery, scrims or any set element with great precision. The fixture’s internal framing system makes it a highly capable, automated substitute for a conventional daylight Fresnel fixture.
Reliability was the main reason for Michael choosing Martin MAC Vipers as well as the fact that many riders coming through New Zealand requested the Martin brand more than ever.
“For me, it was a fitting that was at the start of its life cycle so I’ll probably get at least ten years of investment return from them,” added Michael. “I never buy products when they first come out preferring to give them at least a year to iron out any teething issues, then you buy them. No other company in New Zealand was investing in this kind of product instead using end-of-life fixtures for far too long. The market was becoming quite depressed with the stock that was available.”
The MAC Viper features an aggressive combination of intense light output from advanced lamp technology and an innovative feature set on the leading edge of the evolutionary scale. All in a slender, agile body that moves deceptively fast.
Michael reports that his crew love the ease of installing the MAC Vipers and the accessibility to the workings for servicing, saying that they are just well thought through.
Naturally, the brightness of the MAC Vipers was a top selling point as was the clarity of the optics and the amazing flexibility of the fixture.
“They have an amazingly bright beam with excellent gobo selection,” said Michael. The colour system is superb.”
MJF’s Vipers have been used on a wide variety of events including World of Wearable Art, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (pictured) and Elton John whose lighting designer was so impressed by their performance, he swears he’s switching to them!
