I have to admit, initially I wasn’t overly excited by the prospect of trying out the new Fusion 100 Spot from the Prolight Concepts Group. At first look, it appeared to be just another small LED-powered moving head. Not exactly an exciting prospect. However, having read up on the specs, I realised that this has the potential to be something of a game-changer!

Despite joining the Equinox range as a big brother to the existing Fusion Spot MKII (12W) and Fusion Spot Max MKII (30W), the new Fusion 100 Spot is still extremely compact. However, inside it’s easily portable casing it boasts two features previously unheard of – at least to my knowledge – at this price point. The fixture features an extremely powerful 80W LED light-source, making it suitable for use in larger venues and for cutting through large amounts of ambient or wash lighting. It also offers rotating GOBOs, a feature that allows a whole new level of lightshow creativity.

The combination of a powerful LED light-source and rotating GOBOs at a price tag of less than £300 really does make the Fusion 100 Spot worthy of attention. It means that four powerful and feature-packed moving heads can now be purchased for just less than £1200, making such technology affordable for many DJs for whom it would previously have fallen well outside their budget.

For a number of years, a pair of barrel scanners on tripods, together with a DJ booth and up-lighting par cans, could loosely have been described as a basic ‘standard’ mobile DJ lighting setup. However, recently there has been a collective move by the industry towards more creative lightshows. Many DJs now use moving heads, often sitting on floor-mounted truss plinths, as part of even their most basic shows. And, thanks to the Fusion 100 Spot – as well as other more advanced and expensive new moving heads that have recently hit the market – this trend looks set to continue.

Moving heads bring a whole new dimension to a mobile lightshow, as they can be used to create a wide variety of very different looks. Spotlighting a bride and groom during their first dance is proving very popular for many wedding DJs, while moving heads are also great for creating energetic effects to accompany fast-paced dance or rock music. And, thanks to advances in DMX control hardware and software, setting up a control system to get the most from a moving light rig is now much cheaper and easier than ever before.

Not only does the Fusion 100 Spot offer a powerful LED light-source and effective rotating GOBOs, but it also features a number of other advanced features. It boasts remote motorised focus, which allows GOBO patterns to be kept sharp at varying projection distances, as well as a 3-facet prism that can be introduced into the light path to break up a single beam into three separate beams arranged in a triangular formation.

A beam angle of 10-degrees makes the Fusion 100 Spot ideal for use in the sizes of venue that are home to the majority of mobile DJ gigs. It is narrow enough to allow projection of GOBOs over a significant distance to reach the back wall of a large room, while also wide enough for projection over a short distance to a dancefloor or low ceiling. The fixture’s independent colour wheel is loaded with seven vibrant indexed colours (red, yellow, cyan, green, orange, pink and blue) and also offers colour scrolling at variable speed.

The unit is fitted with five detailed metal GOBO patterns in addition to open spot. The first GOBO is a cluster of five stars, each of a different size, which is great for static projection during the early part of a function as mood lighting. Similarly, the second pattern – which is a six-segment pin-wheel swirl – looks great projected onto a surface with a slow rotation applied. The third and fourth GOBOs – a set of the dots and a triangle – are simpler, and therefore more suited for creating mid-air beam effects in a hazy room. Finally, the last pattern is a set of four detailed heart shapes that are ideal for use at weddings as well as valentine’s day and anniversary parties.