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REVIEWED
AFX Light FREEPARHEX
I miss the days before battery-powered up-lighters… said no DJ… ever! Spending hours on hands and knees neatly running out mains and DMX cables to a room full of fixtures was really not a great way of getting into the right frame of mind for hosting a party! Since I invested in battery-powered pars, when they were first introduced a few years ago, the time I’ve saved on set-ups and pack-downs has more than justified the large financial investment.
However, technology advances quickly and now my once state-of-the-art fixtures don’t compare with the LED power and colour mixing possibilities offered by the current options on the market. Also, as we all know, rechargeable batteries don’t last forever. Therefore I am in the market for new battery-powered up-lights, so was very excited to get the chance to try out the new FREEPARHEX units from AFX Light. A brand of the Lotronic company (which is also behind Ibiza Light, Ibiza Sound and BST – amongst others), I hadn’t previously used any AFX Light equipment, but my first impressions have certainly been positive.
Measuring 170 x 162 x 133mm, the FREEPARHEX is extremely compact, however don’t let its diminutive size fool you. It packs a serious punch with its four 10W 6-in-1 RGBWA-UV LEDs. It also has a wide beam angle of 45-degrees. This makes it good for filling large areas of a wall, but means that it is less suited to creating individual narrow columns of light.
By mixing its six primary LED colours, the fixture allows a wide gamut of potential hues to be created including cool whites and warm whites that weren’t possible using older fixtures that relied purely on RGB LEDs. Its UV element also allows for the creation of really vivid pinks and purples as well as pure UV washes. This is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to try a par fixture that utilises 6-in-1 LEDs and I have to say that I was impressed by the UV aspect. It has the same effect on white and fluorescent materials as the old UV tubes and cannons, causing them to glow vibrantly. While a single fixture may not be incredibly powerful, a roomful would create a real impact, perfect for switching over to for those wedding ‘after party’ dance sets.
The unit itself has a simple, yet robust, design. It consists of a compact cube constructed from thick metal sheeting, with rounded edges giving it a decidedly modern aesthetic. Rubber feet are attached to the base of the fixture, which means that it can be simply positioned directly on the floor in front of a wall for hassle free up-lighting. A variable angle hanging bracket is also included, which can be used to mount the fixture to a truss or tripod. Alternatively, the bracket can also be used to angle the unit in towards a wall to minimise the amount of light that spills up onto the ceiling. Plastic thumb screws on either side of the casing can be used to lock the bracket securely in place and could also easily be removed should you prefer to detach the bracket and just make use of the rubber feet.
Mains power IEC input and output sockets are fitted to the rear panel of the unit, both for charging purposes and should you ever wish to run your up-lighting from mains power (for particularly long events, for example, when the internal battery may not offer enough run time). There are also XLR input and output sockets, as well as a three position rocker switch that allows selection between ON, OFF and CHARGE.
On the front panel of the unit status indicator LEDs are provided for ‘Power’, ‘Signal’ (DMX) and ‘Wireless’ (Bluetooth), while a four-digit LED display and four corresponding menu buttons allow selection between the fixture’s various operating modes and their relevant options. There is also a set of four green status LEDs that allows you to easily keep tabs on the unit’s battery life. The LEDs are labelled with ‘100%’, ‘75%’, ‘50%’, and ‘25%’. All four are illuminated when the battery is full and they go out one at a time as it depletes. This means that when none of them are lit you know that there isn’t much power left and it’s time for a recharge.
The unit’s replaceable Lithium battery – which is accessible through a hatch built in to the base of the casing and secured in place with a metal thumbscrew – has a run time of between four and eight hours. This will vary based on which colour(s) are used, but should always be enough to last throughout most evening functions. Recharging a flat battery will take around 10 hours, so an overnight charge will allow the unit to be used on consecutive evenings. To make the task of charging multiple fixtures easier, the AFX Light range also includes a dedicated flight-case, the FL-FREEPAR (pictured). This robust storage solution can be used to store up to eight FREEPARHEX units and features internal power distribution which allows charging to take place inside the case, with just a single power lead required to hook up all of the stored fixtures to the mains supply. The FL-FREEPAR is fitted with castors for easy transportation and is priced at £309.
Two different versions of the fixture are available: the FREEPARHEX-BL, which has a matt black finish, and the FREEPARHEX-WH, which has a striking white gloss coating. The black model is ideal if you prefer discrete lighting fixtures, but I personally prefer the white option. I think a set of these would really blend in with both the venues and décor (flowers / decorations) etc. at weddings and other up-market events.
Each FREEPARHEX unit comes pre-programmed with 17 colour macros and six colour chase/fade programs. These can easily be selected using the LED menu interface, which also allows access to full RGBWA-UV colour mixing. This means that simple static coloured up-lighting, perfectly matched to an event’s colour scheme, can be setup without the need for any additional control equipment.
Despite offering cable-free battery power, the FREEPARHEX fixtures unfortunately don’t feature wireless DMX receivers. However they do support control via Bluetooth, using a free app – AFXAir – that is available for both Apple and Android phones and tablets. I found this very easy to use; pairing the fixtures with my phone was very straightforward and then using the app to control the lights was extremely intuitive.
The app features a colour wheel that makes selecting any particular hue or shade incredibly easy. It also offers shortcut buttons for each of the primary colours as well as direct access to colour fade, colour chase, strobe, and sound active modes (all with variable speed / sensitivity). The only drawback is that the app can only be used to connect to a maximum of four units. Additional fixtures would then need to be connected as slaves using XLR cables.
If you’d prefer the flexibility of a full-blown hardware or software control system, or want to synchronise your up-lights with your other lighting and effects equipment, the fixtures are also compatible with DMX. However, without wireless DMX, you’ll need to get down on your hands and knees to daisy chain together your controller and all of your fixtures using XLR cables. Two DMX modes are available: 7-channel and 9-channel. The basic mode consists of independent dimming channels for each of the six primary LED colours with the seventh providing variable speed strobe control. The more advanced mode adds in remote access to the unit’s pre-set colour macros and chase patterns as well as a channel dedicated to the chase speed of these programmes.
In summary, the FREEPARHEX units are nice little fixtures that offer plenty of light output, an expansive gamut of colours and smooth colour mixing. If you want wireless DMX control of your up-lighters, this is not the fixture to choose (and I’m afraid you’ll have to pay considerably more). However, if you just want to set static colours at the beginning of the event, or dedicated control via the app appeals, then these affordable, effective and robust units are well worth consideration.
However, technology advances quickly and now my once state-of-the-art fixtures don’t compare with the LED power and colour mixing possibilities offered by the current options on the market. Also, as we all know, rechargeable batteries don’t last forever. Therefore I am in the market for new battery-powered up-lights, so was very excited to get the chance to try out the new FREEPARHEX units from AFX Light. A brand of the Lotronic company (which is also behind Ibiza Light, Ibiza Sound and BST – amongst others), I hadn’t previously used any AFX Light equipment, but my first impressions have certainly been positive.
Measuring 170 x 162 x 133mm, the FREEPARHEX is extremely compact, however don’t let its diminutive size fool you. It packs a serious punch with its four 10W 6-in-1 RGBWA-UV LEDs. It also has a wide beam angle of 45-degrees. This makes it good for filling large areas of a wall, but means that it is less suited to creating individual narrow columns of light.
By mixing its six primary LED colours, the fixture allows a wide gamut of potential hues to be created including cool whites and warm whites that weren’t possible using older fixtures that relied purely on RGB LEDs. Its UV element also allows for the creation of really vivid pinks and purples as well as pure UV washes. This is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to try a par fixture that utilises 6-in-1 LEDs and I have to say that I was impressed by the UV aspect. It has the same effect on white and fluorescent materials as the old UV tubes and cannons, causing them to glow vibrantly. While a single fixture may not be incredibly powerful, a roomful would create a real impact, perfect for switching over to for those wedding ‘after party’ dance sets.
The unit itself has a simple, yet robust, design. It consists of a compact cube constructed from thick metal sheeting, with rounded edges giving it a decidedly modern aesthetic. Rubber feet are attached to the base of the fixture, which means that it can be simply positioned directly on the floor in front of a wall for hassle free up-lighting. A variable angle hanging bracket is also included, which can be used to mount the fixture to a truss or tripod. Alternatively, the bracket can also be used to angle the unit in towards a wall to minimise the amount of light that spills up onto the ceiling. Plastic thumb screws on either side of the casing can be used to lock the bracket securely in place and could also easily be removed should you prefer to detach the bracket and just make use of the rubber feet.
Mains power IEC input and output sockets are fitted to the rear panel of the unit, both for charging purposes and should you ever wish to run your up-lighting from mains power (for particularly long events, for example, when the internal battery may not offer enough run time). There are also XLR input and output sockets, as well as a three position rocker switch that allows selection between ON, OFF and CHARGE.
On the front panel of the unit status indicator LEDs are provided for ‘Power’, ‘Signal’ (DMX) and ‘Wireless’ (Bluetooth), while a four-digit LED display and four corresponding menu buttons allow selection between the fixture’s various operating modes and their relevant options. There is also a set of four green status LEDs that allows you to easily keep tabs on the unit’s battery life. The LEDs are labelled with ‘100%’, ‘75%’, ‘50%’, and ‘25%’. All four are illuminated when the battery is full and they go out one at a time as it depletes. This means that when none of them are lit you know that there isn’t much power left and it’s time for a recharge.
The unit’s replaceable Lithium battery – which is accessible through a hatch built in to the base of the casing and secured in place with a metal thumbscrew – has a run time of between four and eight hours. This will vary based on which colour(s) are used, but should always be enough to last throughout most evening functions. Recharging a flat battery will take around 10 hours, so an overnight charge will allow the unit to be used on consecutive evenings. To make the task of charging multiple fixtures easier, the AFX Light range also includes a dedicated flight-case, the FL-FREEPAR (pictured). This robust storage solution can be used to store up to eight FREEPARHEX units and features internal power distribution which allows charging to take place inside the case, with just a single power lead required to hook up all of the stored fixtures to the mains supply. The FL-FREEPAR is fitted with castors for easy transportation and is priced at £309.
Two different versions of the fixture are available: the FREEPARHEX-BL, which has a matt black finish, and the FREEPARHEX-WH, which has a striking white gloss coating. The black model is ideal if you prefer discrete lighting fixtures, but I personally prefer the white option. I think a set of these would really blend in with both the venues and décor (flowers / decorations) etc. at weddings and other up-market events.
Each FREEPARHEX unit comes pre-programmed with 17 colour macros and six colour chase/fade programs. These can easily be selected using the LED menu interface, which also allows access to full RGBWA-UV colour mixing. This means that simple static coloured up-lighting, perfectly matched to an event’s colour scheme, can be setup without the need for any additional control equipment.
Despite offering cable-free battery power, the FREEPARHEX fixtures unfortunately don’t feature wireless DMX receivers. However they do support control via Bluetooth, using a free app – AFXAir – that is available for both Apple and Android phones and tablets. I found this very easy to use; pairing the fixtures with my phone was very straightforward and then using the app to control the lights was extremely intuitive.
The app features a colour wheel that makes selecting any particular hue or shade incredibly easy. It also offers shortcut buttons for each of the primary colours as well as direct access to colour fade, colour chase, strobe, and sound active modes (all with variable speed / sensitivity). The only drawback is that the app can only be used to connect to a maximum of four units. Additional fixtures would then need to be connected as slaves using XLR cables.
If you’d prefer the flexibility of a full-blown hardware or software control system, or want to synchronise your up-lights with your other lighting and effects equipment, the fixtures are also compatible with DMX. However, without wireless DMX, you’ll need to get down on your hands and knees to daisy chain together your controller and all of your fixtures using XLR cables. Two DMX modes are available: 7-channel and 9-channel. The basic mode consists of independent dimming channels for each of the six primary LED colours with the seventh providing variable speed strobe control. The more advanced mode adds in remote access to the unit’s pre-set colour macros and chase patterns as well as a channel dedicated to the chase speed of these programmes.
In summary, the FREEPARHEX units are nice little fixtures that offer plenty of light output, an expansive gamut of colours and smooth colour mixing. If you want wireless DMX control of your up-lighters, this is not the fixture to choose (and I’m afraid you’ll have to pay considerably more). However, if you just want to set static colours at the beginning of the event, or dedicated control via the app appeals, then these affordable, effective and robust units are well worth consideration.
The full review can be found in Pro Mobile Issue 84, Pages 80-82.
